Shades Of Gray
by Xavier2163
Summary: AU Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld of magick beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Can love save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward a part of that evil? OCC ExB Lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **AU Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld of magick beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Can love save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward a part of that evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

I decided to go ahead and start posting this. It's been in my head for a long time, and I had to start writing it. I have not abandoned any of my other stories, and the next chapter of the mating dance should be up soon. I seem to be drawn to Dark Bella. Everyone always writes dark Edward. We get bad girl Bella in this story.

Please read the Author's Note at the end of the story if you make it that far.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 1 Prologue

The room was dark, and I had the covers pulled up to my chin, but the air coming out of the air conditioning vent was cool and dry. Where the hell was she? It never took Renee this long to check on me to make sure I was asleep. I glanced at my clock radio again. Damn it, it was already eleven thirty! How long would Mandy wait before she gave up on me?

I was about to give up and just go for it when I heard the loose board in the hall give the tell tale creak that warned me Renee was coming down the hall. I measured my breath and put on my best sound asleep act. I saw the room brighten briefly from the light in the hallway as the door cracked open. Renee never actually came into the room, and after a minute the door closed. I heard her continue down the hall to the room she shared with her boy toy, Phil.

I lay there seething in a fresh flood of silent rage as I thought about Renee and Phil and how everything she had always taught me suddenly went out the window because she was 'in love'. Never get married for the wrong reasons, Isabel. Be responsible, Isabel, she preached to me when she couldn't even keep the lights turned on if I didn't mail the bills on time for her. I was as much the parent as Renee was in our twisted mother daughter relationship, and if anything I had always been the more responsible one.

It seriously bugged me when Renee started dating a man eleven years her junior. God, he was closer to my age than hers! If I'd brought him home she would have thrown a royal fit, but when I complained I was just being childish, and it wasn't my place to question her. It was bad enough when they were just dating and people would mistake him for my boyfriend or older brother. Then she threw all the rules out the window and married him. That was the last straw. I was through being the responsible one. If Renee could break all the rules then I deserved to have some fun too.

I looked at the clock again and it had been a full two minutes since the door had closed. I threw back the covers and got out of bed. I was already dressed, and I thought I looked pretty hot in my tight low rise hip hugger jeans and the red spaghetti strap bra top tank. The top had a built in bra and didn't really need the spaghetti straps to stay up as it fluttered loosely around my midriff not really covering much at all. I reached under the bed and grabbed the wig I gotten at the goodwill store, arranged it on my pillow, and pulled the covers back up to look like I was still in bed. Just a little insurance in case Renee got back up and decided to look in on me again.

I grabbed my purse off the back of my desk chair and stepped into the kitten heel pumps as I opened my purse to double check that I had everything. I'd cleaned out my stash for the party tonight, and the little baggie of that primo bud I'd scored at school before Christmas break was lying on top of the rest. The new pipe that Rachael had gotten me for Christmas and my lighter were all ready to go.

I silently slid the window open and the blast of dry desert air hit me like I'd opened the oven in the kitchen instead of my bedroom window. It was still in the eighties outside, despite the late hour and the season. Ninety degree weather wasn't unheard of even in January, and we were having a warm winter. I swung my legs out as I sat on the window sill and then dropped down into the backyard. Thank god for slab construction. It was a short drop but I still stumbled and almost fell. I caught myself by grabbing the open window sill. I slid the window closed but I remembered to leave it open a crack so it wouldn't latch this time.

I crossed the yard to the gate and pushed it open as quietly as possible. I silently cringed as it scraped on the concrete and the hinge creaked. It didn't matter how many times I oiled it, it always made a metallic screech every time I opened it. I jogged down the street, and miraculously, Mandy's car was still there waiting for me.

"Jeez, Isabel, It's about fucking time," Mandy exclaimed from the driver seat. "I thought you'd chickened out. I was about ready to give up on you. What happened?"

I opened the passenger door and jumped in as Mandy pulled away from the curb and made a U-turn in the middle of the street.

"I had to wait until my mom checked on me and went to bed. I'm still grounded, and I had to sneak out. You got another one of those, Rachel?" I asked the girl in the back seat, eyeing the beer she was sipping.

""Yeah, no problem, Isabel," Rachel said and handed me a beer from the cooler in the back seat.

I twisted off the top and took a pull from the beer as Mandy drove us across town to Debbie's Christmas party. I set the beer in the cup holder and took a cigarette out of my purse. I cupped my hands around it to block the hot wind from the open window to light it. I retrieved my beer as I sat back and took a drag off the smoke and blew it out the window. I watched the palm trees go by out the window as we drove through the dry desert night. A lot of houses still had Christmas lights turned on despite the late hour.

"God, Isabel, your mom is gonna go totally ballistic if she catches you again." Mandy said "You're already grounded for sneaking out last time. If she catches you again she might really send you to that all girls' school she was talking about."

I took a long drag off my cigarette and blew out the smoke. "Renee isn't gonna send me to military school or that convent school either. They all expect to be paid, and she can't afford the tuition on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Her boy toy Phil isn't swimmin' in the big bucks either, unless he's got somethin' I ain't seen yet and gets signed to the majors. I think it's a safe bet he ain't going to show anytime soon."

"Whatever, it's your funeral. We might as well enjoy your last night as a free woman before she throws away the key." She reached over and cranked up the volume on the stereo, effectively ending the conversation.

The party had been going for a couple of hours when we got there, but that just meant that everyone was already buzzed and the action was hot and heavy when we showed up. I could hear the loud music from the street when we got out of the car, and it hit me like a wave when I pushed through the door.

The lights were dim and the music seemed loudest from the family room. There were people milling around and sitting on the couches in the living room talking, but they had to shout or lean close together to hear. Ashley Davis was curled up in an easy chair in the corner making out with some guy I'd never seen before. A guy I knew from school handed me a plastic cup full of beer from the keg as I passed the kitchen.

I pushed through the press of bodies in the family room and stepped out the sliding glass door onto the patio in the back yard. It was less crowded out here. The music was still loud but slightly muffled and quieter when Rachel slid the glass door shut behind her. I walked over and sat in one of the patio chairs at the glass table and got out my pipe. I tamped down a chunk of the primo bud, fired up, and took a big hit off the pipe. I passed it to Mandy as I held in the smoke, and then blew it out through my nose.

"God, that's some good shit. I hope that Silas kid has some left when we go back to school."

"Got a plan for your Christmas money already?" Rachel asked as she took the pipe from Mandy. "I thought you were gonna save up to buy a car?" Then Rachel took a hit off the pipe.

"There aren't any decent cars around here that I'd be able to afford," I said. "I might as well enjoy it while I can."

"So, do you think that guy's gonna be here tonight?" Mandy asked. "You know… the guy that was talking to you at the mall."

"I don't know. I told him I'd be here tonight. I'll just have to wait and see."

I was a little apprehensive about what to do if he did show up. I had been asked out by boys with a decent amount of frequency. I had gone out on dates, held hands with boys, kissed a few boys, gotten groped uncomfortably in the backseats of a couple of cars. I'd been the one to mention this party when we'd talked at the mall, and I didn't want to be a tease, but I felt uncomfortable about talking to him again.

The whole thing had started innocently enough. I was at the mall with Renee, and I went to browse in the book store while she went to Victoria's Secret. It was bad enough that she bought that stuff to surprise Phil. I didn't need to watch her buy it or ask me for advice. I was browsing through the classics when I noticed him looking at me. At first I just thought he was some creepy older guy checking me out, but he came over and said hi and started asking my opinion about the books in the section.

At first I was surprised that he was paying attention to me. I'd gotten a weird vibe from him when he was further away, but up close I realized he was drop dead gorgeous and younger than I'd first thought. He had the strangest dark ochre eyes and his black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. We chatted about books we'd read and our favorite characters. What they did right and what they did wrong, and how we would have changed the story if we were writing it. He invited me to go to the food court to get coffee, and I was ready to leave with him, when I saw Renee walk out of the shop across the mall. It was like the spell was broken with my realization that I was supposed to meet her, and I apologized and told him I had to leave.

He asked when he could see me again, and I told him I'd be at this party tonight as I hurried out of the shop to meet Renee. It was later as we were driving home that I realized he'd never even told me his name. The whole experience was surreal and disjointed as I had difficulty even remembering what we'd talked about, and what had been so enthralling about meeting him.

I put away my pipe, and we went back into the party. My beer was empty, but I didn't mind, and the three of us made our way onto the dance floor in the family room to dance and cut loose. There were too many people to say I danced with anyone in particular as we moved to the pounding beat. It just felt good to let all my problems go and let the music move me. It didn't matter if I was clumsy, or Phil was too young for my mom. Mandy and Rachel didn't care and I just moved to the pulsing beat and the flashing lights.

I was dancing with the girls when I felt a tingling sensation in my scalp and a chill that ran down my spine. I felt hands on my hips and somebody grinding against my backside. I thought it was that jerk Alex Petersen from the football team again. I gone out with him once, and that was enough. He just wouldn't take no for an answer, and I was going to have to get tough with him. Then the hands on my hips gripped me tight, and I could feel how cold their touch was as they moved under my shirt. I could feel the cold grip above the waist band of my low rise jeans, and then the somebody was purring hello into my ear.

I glanced back and it was the hot guy from the bookstore and suddenly my annoyance and apprehension melted away as I pressed back against him. I turned around inside his grip to dance with him and his hands never left my hips. He pulled me against him and I could feel the hard bulge in his jeans pressing against me. We danced to a couple of songs, and then he leaned in to talk in my ear.

"It's too crowded in here. Let's get a drink, ok?"

I nodded to him, and he took my hand and led me off the dance floor. He handed me a cup of beer from the keg, and then he produced a bottle of liquor from the counter next to it.

"Would you like something to make that a little stronger?" he asked.

I was about to say no and was shaking my head when he poured the shot in and then poured a shot into his cup as well. Well, done is done, so I took a drink and it didn't taste half bad.

He took my hand and led me back into the living room, and we found a relatively quiet corner to talk.

"So, are you having fun tonight, Isabel?" he asked.

I really was, and then the thought struck me. "How did you know my name? I never told you…" I asked as I realized I was backed into the corner. He was standing close in front of me almost pressing his body against mine, but not really touching.

"It wasn't hard to find out. I talked to your friends." He purred into my ear as he leaned into me. "They all knew who I meant when I asked about the pretty girl with the smoking hot body, the long mahogany hair with a touch of a curl, and the chocolate brown eyes that seem to pull you into their depths."

I felt like I had melted and he was purring into the depths of the puddle where I had been standing.

"Hmm, I'm surprised they sent you to me with that description…" I said as I traced my fingers along the arm of the hand that still rested on my hip.

"You haven't answered my question yet. Are you having fun tonight?" he purred into my ear moving closer still.

"Yes, I think I am. I deserve to have some fun." His hips were pressing against mine now, but for some reason I didn't mind.

"That's good. You should have fun while you can. Life is so short. You should live it to the fullest. Live every minute like it's your last minute on earth."

His hand on my hip was moving up my side under my shirt as his fingers trailed up to my ribs and then back down as he traced patterns on my skin.

"Is that what you're doing here? Having fun and living life like it's your last minute?" my voice caught as his finger tips traced along the bottom edge of my bra and then slid back down my side.

"Are you just a party animal, or is there more to you?" I asked as his cold fingers traced patterns onto my back and side.

"Oh trust me; I can be an animal with or without the party. There is definitely more to me than meets the eye, though. But enough about me tell me more about you, Isabel." He purred in my ear

"Sorry, not much to tell. I'm just your typical girl who wants to kill her mother for ruining her life. I'm just waiting for my high school sentence to end so I can get on with my life like most of the rest of the kids here tonight." I said as I looked down and avoided his eyes.

I was such a loser and I was sure he'd walk away.

I felt his cold fingers on my jaw and he raised my chin to look deeply into my eyes. "Don't you have hopes and dreams? Some aspiration to better yourself? Go off to college or make a name for yourself?" He asked as his cold fingers traced from the small of my back around my side and across my hip above my jeans.

"You know, there was a time when I cared about things like grades and college. I used to be the president of the honor society if you can believe that. I wanted to get a scholarship to some prestigious university somewhere, but that all just seems so far away now. Now I just want to have a good time."

I felt the bulge in his jeans pressing into me where my hips came together. I could feel the dampness between my thighs and the delicious curl in my stomach and I wanted him to give me a good time tonight.

"Well, good times are my specialty. Why don't we get out of here, and go have a more private party? What do say sweet Isabel? Will you come party with me?" He leaned into me, and his hand was on the back of my neck. His lips were pressing against mine. His tongue traced across my lower lip begging for entrance and my lips parted. The taste was incredible as his cold tongue explored my mouth dancing against my tongue as he deepened the kiss. My head was swimming and it felt like I was in a fog. Everything seemed far away and unreal like a dream… A good time… That sounded like fun… But something was wrong… I wasn't that kind of girl…

"No, I can't leave with you… I don't do that…" I didn't leave with strange men… But he seemed safe enough…

"It'll be alright, Isabel. We'll just party a little and have some fun. I'll be nice, I promise." My brain was so foggy and I a hard time even remembering my own name until he said it. His cold fingers traced patterns on my back and side. The cold fingers of his other hand caressed my jaw and he breathed his sweet intoxicating breath into my face as his eyes bored deeply into mine.

"It's not right… I came with my friends…" My friends… They'd understand… I couldn't remember their names…

"Your friends will wait for you. We can go with my friends. You won't be alone." His sweet intoxicating breath washed over me and made my head swim as his eyes bored into soul, and I couldn't say no anymore. I didn't want to say no anymore, but something inside me was crying out that this was wrong. A tiny part of me knew I had to resist.

"Wait," I said, as I listened to the tiny voice in my head that said this was wrong. "At least tell me your name…"

"James Hunter, but please call me James, my sweet Isabel. You shouldn't worry. Come with me and we can play…" Yes… I shouldn't worry… We'd have fun… I would play with James… NO! This was wrong…

"Ok…" I said and he wrapped his arm around me and led me towards the door.

"Isabel!" Somebody was saying a name… It was my name and I knew that voice… There was music playing and I was at a party…

"Isabel Swan! What are you doing?" It was my friend… Her name was Mandy and she was standing in front of me…

James bent down and was purring in my ear…

"Tell your friend its ok. You want to go with me. I'm safe." His voice purred the words into my ear and it felt like were injected into my head, like they were my own thoughts and I was compelled to say them... NO! This was wrong…the tiny voice cried out to me, but it was so quiet and far away...

"It's ok, Mandy. I want to go with James. He's safe…" I parroted back. The words came out in my voice, but I didn't know why I said them… James had his arm tight around my waist, and his lips were against my ear planting tiny kisses on my ear and the side of my face… It felt so good and I wanted more… NO! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong… the tiny voice cried out to me, but I couldn't listen to it…

"Are you sure, Isabel? You just met this guy. Where are you going?

"Tell your friend not to worry. We're going to meet my friends, Victoria and Laurent. You'll be fine." He purred against my ear and I knew I would tell Mandy what he told me to say. NO! This was wrong…the tiny voice cried out to me, but it was so quiet and far away...

"Don't worry, Mandy. We're going to meet his friends, Victoria and Laurent. I'll be fine…" The voice coming out of my mouth told her. Why did I say that…? I didn't believe it… RUN! This is WRONG… the tiny voice screamed at me, but it couldn't penetrate through the fog…

"If you're sure, Isabel, I don't like this, but if you think it's ok…"

"Tell your friend you'll be fine. We'll be back in a little while. You want to go with me." The velvet purr poured the words into me and I had to say it. NO! YOU CAN"T DO THIS…the tiny voice pleaded inside of me as it struggled against the fog...

"I'll be fine. We'll be back in a little while. I want to go with James." The voice coming out of my mouth lied to her. Don't believe me! NO. NO. NO… the tiny voice screamed at me… I wanted to listen to the voice, but it was so far away…

"Alright, Isabel, but I'll be waiting for you…" She stepped out of the way, and James led me to the door.

We hurried out of the house, and it didn't feel like my feet even touched the ground. Suddenly we were standing on the sidewalk, and a car was waiting for us. The door was open and then we were in the back seat. The car was pulling away from the curb before James had the door closed. His arm was around me holding me tight against his body, and his hand caressed along my side. I didn't know where we were going, but the houses started to thin out and there were warehouses lining the streets.

"Isabel, these are my friends, Victoria and Laurent. See, I told you it would be ok. C'mon, let's party."

The redhead in the passenger seat had a pipe at her lips, and I could smell the sweet pungent odor of the smoke. She passed the pipe back to James, and he held it to my lips. I didn't want this, but I inhaled a long hit off the pipe, and my lungs were filled with the smoke. Something made me hold it in, and then I blew out the smoke. My head was spinning and I had trouble paying attention to what was going on. The pipe made the rounds and kept coming back to me, but I couldn't say no.

Then the car stopped. We were parked inside a chain link fence in front of a warehouse. Why were we here? What was going on? My head started to clear a little, despite the pot and the drinks from the party. My heart was racing and I was scared.

"We're going to go get setup," Victoria said. "It shouldn't take too long. Why don't you get her warmed up, James? I know you want to. Just remember what we need…" and then Victoria and Laurent were gone. I was alone in the car with James…

"Sweet young Isabel… I promised you I'd show you a good time. Let's get more comfortable while Victoria gets ready for us…"

He pushed me down onto my back on the seat as his body moved over me pushing me down. His cold hands were on my stomach under my shirt caressing up my body. He forced my knees apart and I could feel the hard bulge in his jeans pressing against my core, grinding into me as I was forced to spread my legs around him.

I moaned as his hands moved on my body and I gave a shudder of disgust that I could be responding to his cold touch. This was wrong and I didn't want to be here, but I'd gone with him…

I could feel the dampness between my thighs wetting my panties as he pressed himself against me and the delicious curl in my stomach wound tighter.

His hands were pushing my shirt up. Then his hands were on my breasts. He lifted the cups off my chest pushing my shirt up higher, and then his hands were cupping my breasts as his thumbs stroked across the hard pebbles of my erect nipples.

I wanted to scream, but then his cold lips were pressed against mine. The taste was incredible, and my brain exploded with desire. My lips parted and then his tongue was in my mouth. It was slick and sweet and the cold strength explored my mouth. He was kissing me, and I was kissing him back. It was wrong…

He broke the kiss, and then his lips were trailing down my neck, at the hollow at the base of my throat, the valley between my breasts… His lips captured the hard pebble of my nipple, and his tongue flicked across me. The feeling was incredible and I wanted more. This was wrong…

I felt his hand trace down my side and graze across my stomach. His hand was on the button of my jeans and it came open. His hand was on my zipper and then it was down. My jeans were sliding down my hips and suddenly they were bunched around my ankles. I couldn't let this happen…

I felt his hands working but his mouth was still on my breast as his glorious tongue swirled around me and worshiped my flesh. I was panting with desire as new and wonderful sensations exploded through my body. Then his jeans were down around his knees. I could feel his hard cock pressed into my stomach. I had to stop this…

His hand was stroking up the inside of my thigh. His hand was cupping my pussy. Nobody had ever touched me there. His hand gathered around the front of my panties. There was a sharp jerk and a rip of fabric and he was dropping my panties on the floor of the car. NO. THIS. HAD. TO. STOP.

His hand was stroking through the curls on my sex. His cold hand was cupping my hot wet pussy. His finger was pushing into me. His finger stroked across my erect clit…NO!

The voice wasn't tiny now.

The voice was a roar in my head.

This would NOT happen!

"NO!" I screamed.

James froze.

"Isabel, you want this…" I felt he fog swirl around my head and beat against my resolve. NO! This was WRONG!

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" and I was pushing him off. Suddenly everything was tinged with red and my vision was sharp and focused. My hand was on his face shoving him back. There was a brilliant white flash of light. James was flying backwards across the car. He hit the door and it burst open. He flew out of the car and landed in a heap on the pavement. He didn't move.

Suddenly my head was clear and the fog was gone. What the fuck was I thinking? I didn't do things like this! I was smarter than this. I didn't leave my friends and go off with some stranger that I just met at a party! I might party a little and get high, but I didn't go off with strange men, and I for sure as shit didn't sleep around. Hell, I'd never even been with a guy for more than some kisses and a little touching with clothes most definitely still on until tonight. This was totally fucking weird. It was like I'd had no control over my actions.

Think about it later! Run!

I scrambled to fix my clothes. I pulled up my pants and buttoned them. I pulled down my shirt to cover myself. I looked over the seat and the keys were hanging in the ignition. I was over the seat in a flash, my clumsiness for once forgotten in my moment of perfect clarity. I started the car and jammed it in gear and tore out of the parking lot. The back door was still hanging open, but it swung shut and latched when I made the turn out of the lot.

I didn't know where I was, but I thought I was going back the way we'd come. I started looking for street signs, and after a couple of blocks I knew where I was. I wanted to ditch this car, but I needed a ride. I pulled over and got my purse out of the back seat, and then I was driving again. I got out my cell phone and speed dialed Mandy.

"_Isabel? Where the fuck are you? I got Rachel to come with me to follow you, but they left too fast…_"

"I'm ok. You know the Circle K on the corner of N 95th Avenue and West Olive Avenue? Can you meet me there?" Thank god for convenience stores that were open twenty-four hours a day.

"_Yeah, I'm a couple of blocks away…_"

"Ok, pick me up. I'll be in the store." I was pulling into the parking lot now. There was a small strip mall with three or four shops across the lot from the Circle K. They were all closed at this time of night.

"_Alright, Isabel, what happened? Why aren't you with James?_"

"Not now, Mandy, just come get me." I ended the call and dropped the phone back into my purse.

I pulled the car all the way to the back corner of the parking lot next to the strip mall and got out. I checked my clothes, and zipped up my pants. I fixed my shirt and adjusted the cups of the bra top so it fit right again. I grabbed my purse off the seat and made sure I had everything. I grabbed my ripped panties off the floor in the back seat and stuffed them in my purse. No way was the bastard gonna keep a souvenir from tonight. I took the keys out of the ignition and threw them as far out into the field behind the stores as I could. I was pathetic at sports and they didn't go far, but they wouldn't be finding them any time soon if they even knew where to start looking. Then I crossed the parking lot to the Circle K to wait for Mandy.

Mandy pulled into the parking lot a couple of minutes later, and I ran out and jumped into her car. I was shaking now, but I felt better with people I knew around me.

"Ok, Isabel, What the fuck happened? Why are you at the Circle K? Where the fuck is that asshole James?" Mandy pulled out of the parking lot and started driving.

"The bastard got fresh with me and tried to feel me up. I ditched them when they stopped to buy beer, and called you."

No way was I gonna tell them what really happened. They'd make me to call the police, but there was no physical evidence, and I was drunk and high and underage. I was breaking curfew not to mention the fact that I'd snuck out of the house. I wasn't gonna go to the hospital for a rape kit when it didn't get that far, and it was his word against mine even if they could track him down.

The scary part was I didn't know how I'd fought him off. Was it an adrenaline rush? Like when people were stressed out, and they could lift a car for a second? What the fuck was that burst of light? I'd been pretty buzzed tonight, between the beer, the liquor and the pot I'd smoked at the party and then in the car. I was surprised I could still walk, let alone throw a grown man through a door out of a car. It must have been my imagination or a reaction to the adrenaline in my system, if that was what had happened. I was just glad it was over.

"Shit girlfriend, you're lucky that's all that happened! Should we call the police?"

"Fuck no! Do you really want to spend the rest of the night in jail? We're fucking drunk and high. They'd haul us to jail first and then get the story from us. Let's just go back to the party and forget this ever happened, ok?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Mandy said, getting in my face now. I'd been stupid to go with James, and she was pissed at me for doing something so dangerous in the first place. There was no way she could know how truly weird this whole thing was.

"I'm sorry, Mandy. I wasn't thinking. There was just something about him… It was weird… It was like my brain was all muddled and I wanted to do what he said… It was like he had some kind of power over me and I had to do what he said… It didn't seem dangerous at the time…"

I shuddered to think about what could have happened. What had almost happened. What had been seconds away from happening.

"Well, I don't think he drugged you, or you wouldn't be able to talk to us now. You just need some lovin' girlfriend. Your body wants it. You need to get laid, but find yourself a nice boyfriend. Not some creepy older guy that picks you up at a party. Ok?"

"Yes, Mother. Now let's go get a drink. This shit was too fucking weird. Let's go back to the party. God I need a smoke after that…" Mandy had us turned around and was headed back towards Debbie's house. I lit my cigarette and shuddered as I thought about what I'd done. What had almost happened… what had happened…

XXXXXXXXXX

It was much later that night, and Mandy pulled up next to the curb where she'd picked me up for the party. I was sucking on about my tenth tic tac, and my eyes were Visine white.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off closer?" Mandy asked

"No, if you get any closer, you might wake up Renee."

"Ok, I'll see you next week in school."

"Bye, Mandy, Rachel, I had fun tonight, and thanks' for coming to find me and picking me up. Love you guys…"

"Yeah, sell it to hallmark. I gotta get home so my dad can get yelling at me for coming in so late over with. Cya."

I pushed the door closed as quietly as I could while making sure it was latched. Rachel waved out the window, and then I turned and made my way down the block. I didn't stagger much. I didn't even fall down. I was getting to be a real pro at this.

I went through the gate, and the creaking reminded me I was home as I cringed at the sound. I dragged the old crate that we used to move gardening supplies around the yard under my window. I climbed up on the crate, and slid the window open. I remembered to slip off my shoes as I sat on the window sill. I swung one leg into the room straddling the window. I didn't remember the floor being so far down. I tried to hop down off the window sill, but my other leg was still outside and the floor was too far down. My pants got caught on the frame, and then I was hanging head down inside the window as I lost my balance and crashed to the floor.

Ok, par for the course. Clumsy Isabel can't even climb in a window without falling on her butt. I got up trying not to make anymore noise and slid the window shut. I was home free now and I was going to get away with this. I was reaching to hang up my purse…

The light switch clicked and the room was suddenly too bright as light flooded the room.

"Isabella Marie Sawn! Where the hell have you been! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting up to see if you're still alive? Would you like to explain this to me young lady!"

Renee was standing next to the light switch and she was fully dressed. That wasn't a good sign. That meant she'd been up for hours. She was holding the cheap Goodwill wig in her hand, gripping it tight like she was strangling a cat. The veins in her neck stood out, and I could see one pulsing in her forehead like a nervous tick. She was totally pissed. Lying would only get me in deeper. It was time to come clean.

"Umm, I went to Debbie's Christmas party?"

"What, you're not sure, or are you asking me where you were?"

"No… I went to Debbie's Christmas party."

"That would be the party that you asked to go to and I told you no."

"Yes."

"The party I said you couldn't go to because you're grounded."

"Yes."

"Please refresh my memory here, but why were you grounded again?"

"Because I snuck out when you told me I couldn't go to Mandy's birthday party, and I went anyhow."

"Do you see a pattern forming here, Isabella? Now come here."

"What? I just want to take a shower and go to bed. Can't you yell at me in the morning?"

"It is morning and I'm done with yelling at you. It doesn't do any good, and you wouldn't listen to me anyhow. Now come here."

Renee had never been physical, and I didn't think she was going to hit me. I only hesitated for a second. I crossed the room, hardly staggering at all, and stood a little unsteadily in front of her. She leaned in and looked into my eyes and then sniffed my hair. She stood back then and shook her head.

"God, you're stoned and you've been drinking. Your hair smells like pot and cigarettes. Open your purse and let me see."

"No way! That's an invasion of my privacy! You can't do that!"

"You're seventeen years old and you live under my roof! You'll do what I say, or I can call child protective services for you if you don't want to live here anymore. Only they'll make you take a piss test before they haul your ass off to juvenile detention. Now open your purse, or you can go live at the girl's ranch until you're eighteen!"

I didn't know if she'd really do it or not, but she had me cold, and I'd been giving her enough grief that she might really make the call. I took a deep breath and handed her my purse. She took it and dumped it out on my desk.

Cell phone, that was ok. A lot of people carried Visine, and what was wrong with breath mints? The cigarettes weren't too bad, and that would explain the lighter. The short brass and plastic pipe with the feathers hanging off of it was a lot worse. The collection of small Ziploc baggies with the greenish brown buds in them was bad. Real bad.

Oh crap! My ruined panties were still in my purse! Now they were lying on my desk next to my pot and cigarettes.

Renee reached out and picked them up. They were mostly dry by now with just a hint of dampness, but I could smell them from where I was standing. They smelled like sex and I knew what she was thinking. She turned them in her hand for a minute and then her eyes were boring into mine. She knew they were mine. She'd bought them for me.

"Do you want to explain this, Isabel?" Renee asked holding up the ruined panties in front of me.

"It's not what you think… There was this guy at the party and things got a little out of hand…"

"I raised you better than this, Isabel! You know better than this! The drinking was bad enough! The pot was worse, but I told myself kids need some space to experiment. I didn't raise you to spread your legs like a two-bit whore for some guy you meet at a party!"

"No! It wasn't like that…"

"What, are you going to tell me you're in love now? Was it a magical moment!"

"No, damn it! Listen to me! Nothing happened!"

"Nothing? This doesn't look like nothing!" She accused holding the ruined panties up in front of me.

"I told him no! I don't sleep around! I can kiss a boy with having to fuck him!"

"You kiss boys? Without your pants on?"

"I'm still a virgin god damn it! I told him no! I made him stop!"

"Alright, you stopped this time, but what about next time? What are you gonna do the next time you climb out your window? Will it be to go meet some guy? I don't want you to make the same mistakes I made… You're better than this. Don't ruin your life, Isabel. Don't settle… You can have so much more…"

"Is that what I am? The mistake that ruined your life? Why did you even bother to keep me when you could have had so much more!"

"No, Isabel! I wanted you! I loved Charlie, and I wanted to have his baby. I thought we had a future together…"

"Is that what you tell yourself when you're fucking your boy toy, Phil? Do you want his baby too?"

The sting of her hand across my face rocked me back on my heels and shocked me. Renee had never raised her hand to me. My cheek felt hot and I knew it would be red with the outline of her hand if I looked in the mirror. I could feel tears welling in my eyes and my mouth hung open as I stared at her.

"I'm not going to put up with this anymore Isabella! You will not question my choices when you're standing in front of me stoned and drunk and two inches away from fucking some guy you just met! I didn't raise you to be some stoner pot head loser. You're better than that, but I know you're too mad at me to make good decisions right now. I'm going to give you a simple choice that you should be able to handle, but I'm pretty sure you won't like either option. I'm done with giving you ultimatums only to have you throw it back in my face or go behind my back. One way or the other you're going to have to deal with the law now. You decide which call I make…"

"Renee… Mom please no… anything but that! You know I can't do that!" The tears were streaming down my cheeks now, but I didn't care.

"Then I should call the girl's ranch and see if they have your cell ready? Don't worry, they'll seal your juvenile records when you turn eighteen."

"No, you can't do this to me! I'm your daughter! Don't you love me anymore? Please mom, I promise this won't happen again…"

"Enough, Isabella! You've promised me and promised me, and I keep catching you climbing in your window at dawn. I'm done with the lies! I'm done with the drinking! I'm done with the drugs! I can't deal with boys now too on top of everything else! Somebody has to set you straight, and you won't listen to me anymore. I'm not going to let you ruin your life just to get back at me! Take your shower and get some sleep. When you get up, we're making a phone call! You decide which one we make!"

Renee was still holding my purse. She swept the contents off my desk back into the empty purse, turned on her heel, and walked out of my room. This was not good. Not good at all. My eighteenth birthday was nine months away, nine months in lockup, or nine months in hell. It surprised me how tough the decision really was. I'd have to sleep on this and give it some serious thought.

I wiped the tears out of my eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. I really needed a cigarette right now, but Renee had confiscated them with my purse. I doubted she be pleased if I asked for them back. I picked up my ruined panties off the floor and tossed them into the trash.

Nine months. Nine months and I'd be eighteen. I knew I wasn't going to spend those nine months in Phoenix with Renee and Phil now. I had burned that bridge. Maybe the girl's ranch wasn't such a bad choice…

XXXXXXXXXX

The Warehouse

The hunter lay crumpled in a heap in front of the warehouse, and then Laurent was there shaking him out of his stupor.

The girl! The girl was gone! His master wanted the girl! He had felt the energy swirling around her as he'd held his body close to hers feeling the energy engulf him and make him careless. She wasn't like the other humans. He had felt her power. She should have gone with him more willingly, but she reacted wrongly. She shouldn't have been able to break free of the compulsion so easily. She should have done what she was told…

"James, come we must go." Laurent was saying. Why was he waiting! We had to hunt the girl! The girl had escaped!

"No! We have to go after her! I could feel her power! She's the one I was sent to find!"

"Victoria sent me to find you. She came out of the trance… She said you must come… He would speak with you…"

"No! I don't have the girl yet! I can't fail again!"

"It is too late for that… You must come now… or he will summon…"

"No! Damn it I was so close…"

The hunter reveled in taking his victims before the feast. Sweet innocents like this girl were his favorite, and the seduction was just as much fun as the revelation that they had made the ultimate mistake. He lived for the terror and the screams as he stole their innocence and then their blood.

But this one was different. The master had sent him in search of this one, and he would have to be patient. The loss of innocence was inevitable. The screaming would be his in time. He would glory in her blood when the master bid him take it. Her blood would be his prize.

They walked into the warehouse and down a twisting aisle way that wound maze like between tall stacks of boxes and crates. It was dark and dusty and quiet as a tomb. Only the sound of the chant broke the silence. He could smell the stench of death and the scent of fresh blood. He moved towards the scent of blood and stepped over the fresh corpse that had likely been its source as he emerged into an open area in the center of the building.

Victoria was standing in the center of the pentagram. The five pointed star was inscribed in blood inside of a larger bloody circle. Mystical symbols and names of power were inscribed within and around it. She stood with her arms out stretched to her sides. She held the athame in her left hand and a fresh bloody skull in her right. Her sword lay at her feet and her head was bowed almost to her chest as the low chant rolled off her lips.

There was a second smaller circle inscribed in blood on the ground away from the pentagram where Victoria stood chanting. It was surrounded with inscribed mystical symbols and a bowl of fresh blood lay in the center of the circle.

There was a raised platform behind the smaller circle. The altar was hung with a black cloth and mystical symbols were embroidered into the cloth. Blood red ropes hung from the four corners of the altar, dangling empty and useless. All that was missing was the sacrifice, but she had fled and was speeding across town now. She had postponed her fate, escaping her destiny and the role she would have played tonight.

Victoria's head rose and turned to follow the hunter as he entered the cleared space, but her eyes did not see him. Her eyes were rolled back in her head as the chant became louder. The hunter moved into the space between the pentagram and the smaller circle and went down on one knee, bowing his head and waiting to hear his fate.

The darkness roiled and seethed like a living thing as a malevolent shudder passed through the warehouse. Anger, pain, antagonism, jealousy, resentment, hatred, violence filled the atmosphere as the shadows swirled and moved and gathered. The darkness coalesced into a palpable living force that was drawn to the circle like a coruscating vortex of incarnate evil. A shape began to emerge but it could not be looked upon as the darkness shifted and swirled like smoke. The form of darkness took a mans shape. There was a hint of long horns like a beast, the vestigial hint of wings, two glowing red points like burning coals where eyes would be.

There was no spoken verbal communication from the shadowy figure, but the essence of intention touched the hunter's mind and resonated through the hunter's body like a cold blade drawn through his flesh as the darkness touched him and communed with his essence.

_James, you have failed me yet again._

"Please, Master, the girl was within my grasp. I only need a little more time. I can go after her and bring her…"

_The time is past… the energy in this place fades… We can no longer open the portal here…_

"Master, there must be another chance, another place where the ritual can be performed. I have worked so hard for this. I will secure the girl and we will be ready…"

_There will be another chance, another place where the lines of force come together, but you will not molest the girl. She will travel to the nexus of her own accord. She is drawn to her fate…_

"Yes, Master! We will succeed. We will take the girl and open the portal. This world will be yours again!

_I will weaken in the time before the ritual can be performed. Join me James. Your essence will sustain me until we may strike._

"Yes, master…" James stood and stepped into the circle.

_You have failed me twice, hunter. I will instruct you in the true nature of pain while we await our opportunity. You will not fail me a third time._

Screams filled the warehouse and then abruptly cut off. The darkness scattered like smoke before a strong wind and then the circle was empty.

Author's Note:

This is a work of fiction. A Twilight Alternate Universe fan fiction to be specific. Let me say here in the beginning, that I do not practice Wicca, witchcraft, belong to any of the popular Pagan groups, study ritual magic nor do I have any real world working knowledge of these things, groups, or beliefs. This is completely a work of fiction, based on primarily internet research, other fiction I enjoy reading and various pop-culture influences.

This is primarily a twilight story, but my other literary influences include works by Rodger Zelazny, Mercedes Lackey, S.M. Stirling, David Drake, Kathryn Kurtz, and Anne McCaffery among others. I'm sure people will recognize pop-culture references from World of Warcraft, Mage the Ascension and the White Wolf World of Darkness series.

There will be vampires in the fan fiction, but they do not follow Stephenie Meyer's Twilight canon. The primary difference is that they are not indestructible god-like creatures in this story. They are not the most dangerous thing out there in the dark, and they can be hunted, hurt, and killed by humans. Venom is not the method of transformation and vampire change in this fic.

Vampire canon changes have been influenced by the HBO Series Trueblood and the Vampire diaries TV series. This does not mean I am using Trueblood canon vampires; it's an influence, that's all. The rest of the details will be in the story.

The main point I wanted to make in this note, is that this is fiction written for fun. If you do study Wicca, or magic, or anything else that I might make a reference to in this story, Please Understand that I'm not writing this to offend anyone. I enjoy reading reviews, but before you decide to say, "It doesn't work that way", Please remember this is fiction, and it works that way in this Alternate Universe.


	2. Chapter 2 Exile

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 2 Exile

I had been right that night in Phoenix when I told Mandy that Renee couldn't afford military school or one of the religious parochial schools she'd threatened me with. I hadn't considered the possibility that she might sell me out to the enemy. Yet here I sat in the small puddle jumper prop plane that shuttled between Seattle and Port Angeles. I couldn't really see anything out the small window beside my seat through the near perpetual cloud cover that we were flying over. When there was a break in the clouds everything under them was just too green.

Nothing but clouds and green and the one tiny speck of civilization where I had been born existed for me on the other side of the rain streaked glass. I had chosen nine months in my own personal hell over nine months in lockup. Nobody had to know I was only planning on staying for nine months. I'd be eighteen then and I could leave and nobody could stop me. It was ironic that I'd be walking out the same way my mother had when she was only a year older. At least I had sense enough not to get knocked up first.

The seatbelt sign came on but it didn't matter. I hadn't unfastened my seatbelt from when we'd taken off. I felt the change in attitude of the small plane and I knew we'd begun our descent into the abyss as the unwitting crew carried me closer to my own personal hell. I couldn't really tell if we were getting closer to the shifting gray mass below, and then suddenly we were in it and we'd left the sun behind. We dropped below the cloud cover, and thankfully it didn't appear to be raining again. We landed safely, and I was two for two. Apparently I wasn't destined to fall out of the sky in a fiery ball of death. Sometimes you just couldn't win.

I unbuckled my seat belt, only struggling with the simple piece of technology for a couple of minutes. At least the stewardess didn't have to come help me figure it out this time. Most of the other passengers had cleared out by the time I could get out of my seat. I stood up and collected my carry on item out of the overhead bin. It was my parting gift from Renee.

I took the heavy winter coat and held it close for a second as I thought about the things I had done that had driven her to this extreme. I had done things that hurt me so that Renee would be hurt too. Hurtful things that had made her feel pain because she was my mother and she cared about me. I shook myself out of my reverie and made my way to the exit. She had done a lot of things too that had driven me to my actions, and I wasn't ready to forgive yet. I loved my mother but even someone with as forgiving a nature as me could only take so much.

I walked down the narrow aisle between the rows of too small seats and stepped out the hatchway onto the stairs down into the cold wet hell. The air was too wet and it stuck to my face and hair. It wasn't oppressively humid. Renee and I had driven through the Midwest one summer on a trip to Chicago, and I knew the difference between humidity and the crisp cold wetness I was feeling now. It was like tiny individual droplets of wetness hung in the air. Too small to call rain, too nebulous to call mist, the air was just wet. The moisture condensed in tiny droplets on the skin of the plane and ran in tiny rivulets to drip and pool on any convenient cool hard surface. I shuddered as I made my way down the stairs that the ground crew had rolled up next to the small plane.

I shrugged into my coat at the bottom of the steps. I hadn't wanted to need it, but Renee was right. It was cold here and I was grateful for the warmth although I regretted the need for it. Nine months I reminded myself. Then I cold go someplace warm and dry again. I walked across the tarmac to the small terminal building, and followed the signs to collect my luggage. I didn't have much. It surprised me how seventeen years could be distilled down into a large duffle bag and two suitcases. Renee had promised to ship some of my things to me, but it still didn't amount to much.

I had some time to kill until I would have to face the inevitable awkward reunion I was dreading. An earlier flight had been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties, and my flight had left Seattle ahead of schedule. I hadn't minded. It meant a shorter lay over in Seattle. I was just disappointed that I'd missed the flight with mechanical problems. Of course it wasn't fair to the other passengers to wish them an untimely death, but it would have solved a lot of my problems. I rented a cart from the machine to wheel my bags to the door and went outside to have a smoke while I waited.

Renee had confiscated all of my contraband as we'd gone through my room to pack my belongings for my move. She had taken my cigarettes and lighters and tossed them in the box with the more overt drug paraphernalia. She didn't tell me what she planned to do with the box and I didn't ask. I seriously doubted it would show up on my doorstep with the knick knacks and mementos that I'd packed for her to ship to me, but I could always hope that she'd mix the boxes up and ship the wrong one.

It had been easy to buy cigarettes during my lay over in Seattle despite the fact that you were supposed to be eighteen to buy tobacco products. Most shops didn't bother to ask for ID, and the few cashiers that were likely to be trouble were easy to spot. I could have simply asked one of the other travelers to buy them for me, but if you looked like you were doing something normal and didn't act nervous most people didn't give it a second thought. I had always been rather mature, despite recent evidence to the contrary. Renee used to joke that I was born thirty-five and got closer to middle aged every year. As long as I didn't act like a kid most people mentally tacked on a couple of years and thought I was older than my ID would have shown.

I really needed a cigarette right now to calm my frazzled nerves as I stood on the walkway outside the terminal building waiting for my date with destiny. I was by no means a chain smoker and a pack of cigarettes would last me several days or even a week depending on my mood. I was smoking my second cigarette since I landed in Port Angeles when the Forks Police cruiser pulled up to the curb and stopped in front of me. I was looking down at the sidewalk, studying a crack in the concrete when the door opened. I heard the footsteps as the officer got out of the car and walked up to me.

"Hello, Isabel… You smoke now?" I recognized the voice, although I was more familiar with how it sounded on the phone. It had only been seven months since we spent our customary two week long vacation together in California. I looked up and he hadn't changed, but I wasn't used to seeing him in his uniform.

"Hey, Charlie, yeah nervous habit," I gave him a weak smile as I read the disapproval on his face.

"Renee tells me you've picked up some other habits as well. You know you're supposed to be eighteen to buy those, don't you?"

I held out my hands to him with my wrist together. "Guilty as charged, officer. Arrest me and take me away." I said with a miserable excuse for a smile on my face. I was trying to lighten the mood, but I was also nervous to see how he'd react. It would be an indication of what I had to look forward to living here.

"I hear that was your other option," and he plucked the cigarette out of my fingers and dropped it on the sidewalk. He crushed it out with the toe of his boot. "I'm glad you made this choice, Isabel," and he leaned in and gave me an awkward one arm hug. Charlie didn't show his emotions easily, and I guess I got it from him. I didn't like to put myself out there either and I was a little stiff as I hugged him back.

"Thanks' for letting me come, Charlie. I'll try not to cause too much trouble."

"You know, I'd really appreciate it if you'd call me dad. It might make this easier, Isabel."

"Hi, dad," I said as I tried to turn the corners of my frown up into a smile. I had a feeling I failed miserably. "I'll work on that Ch… dad… I've just gotten used to Charlie, though, its how I've always thought of you for the last seventeen years. It's what we called you when Renee and I talked."

"Yeah, well let's get your things loaded, and then we can talk on the drive home."

I nodded and grabbed a suitcase.

Home.

This was home now. That fact finally started to sink in as we loaded my things into the trunk of the cruiser. Nine months. I could survive this for nine months. Women all over the world survived worse than this for nine months and came out of it alright. I could survive in this cold wet hell for nine months and then I could run. I didn't know where I would go yet. All I knew was that it would be away from here.

I was numb as I slid into the passenger seat of the cruiser. I fastened my seatbelt and stared blankly out the window as Charlie drove away from the airport and got us onto the highway heading west out of Port Angeles. It was an hour drive to Forks, maybe a bit longer if Charlie followed all the traffic laws and kept his speed down.

"You know, Renee and I had a long talk about you and you coming to live with me. She told me everything. Or at least everything she knows about." Charlie started once we were on the highway.

I gave a little shudder. I'd been dreading this conversation, but I couldn't put it off any longer. "What did Renee tell you?" I asked.

"I'm sure you're familiar with most of it. It started with cutting school and ditching your classes. Your grades went to hell and you started hanging out with a different crowd of friends. You dropped out of the honor society and basically gave up on school. You know she was really worried about you when she found out about the drinking. She knew you were getting high and smoking pot a long time before she ever confronted you about it."

"She thought you were just angry with her and that you'd get over it and go back to your old habits. I told her I didn't think that would happen, but she never would listen to me."

"Renee called you and talked to you about me?"

"Yeah, Isabel, she was worried about you. I was worried about you too. She was frantic on the phone the first time she realized you snuck out and you weren't in your bed when she went to check on you. She wanted me to fly down to Phoenix and go look for you, but you came home before I could book a flight. I told her she had to confront you about it and get you to talk about what was bothering you, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Renee wouldn't listen to me either. She's been preaching to me about how not to ruin my life for seventeen years, and then she just threw all the rules out the window when she met Phil."

"Yeah, I figured it was something like that. Is there something in particular that you don't like about him? He hasn't tried anything…"

"No! Nothing like that! Phil is great… He's just too damn young for her! Hell, he's closer to my age than he is hers. People used to think he was my boyfriend when the three of us would go out. I told her it was a mistake, but she shut me down and told me she could decide how to live her own life."

"And you figured if she could break the rules then so could you. I get it, but I'm not going to let you ruin your life because you're pissed off at your mom, Isabel."

"Ok, so where do we go from here?" This was the hard part. This was where he was going to lay down the law. Worst case scenario, I'd be grounded for the next nine months. Maybe some random drug tests at the police station. Would he want a copy of my fingerprints too?

"Renee sent you here because she was expecting me to be a hard ass cop and lay down the law. She figured it would be like sending you to juvee but without the criminal record to haunt you in the future. I think you're mature enough to know right from wrong and recognize the shades of gray in between. So I'm gonna cut you some slack."

"What…?" I turned and stared at Charlie with shock plain on my face.

"You're starting with a clean slate, Isabel. As long as you keep your nose clean and don't break the rules we'll let what happened in Phoenix stay in Phoenix. You've got a clean record in Forks."

"That's… Thanks' dad…" I didn't know what to say. I hadn't expected this… Renee had always been so critical of Charlie. Maybe I had let her point of view color my opinion of… my dad. Then I knew I had to ask the next question. We had to be clear about this if we were going to make this work. "So what exactly are the rules? If I have to live up to them, I want to know up front what I'm agreeing to."

"Ok. First off, you're not grounded anymore, but you have a curfew. I'll expect you in the house by ten o'clock on school nights, and eleven thirty on the weekend. If you need more time than that because you have plans, I'll expect you to ask me in advance to make arrangements. If you say you're going to be someplace, I expect you to be there. If your plans change then you need to call me and let me know."

"Alright, I can live with that." He cared about me and wanted to keep me safe. I couldn't argue with that. He just wanted know where I was, and it made sense.

"I talked to the high school, and I got you enrolled. Winter break ends next week. You start Wednesday morning, and I expect you to be there for all your classes. No more ditching school and you're going to get your grades turned around and get back on track. You might not care about your future now, but you are going to graduate from high school."

I was starting school on Wednesday. A new school. A new small school. A new small school where everyone had grown up together and knew everyone else in school since kindergarten.

It was still hard to imagine how drastically my life had changed in just the matter of a couple of days. I was celebrating Christmas with Renee and Phil on Monday. We were making a phone call to Charlie on Wednesday morning. I'd spent the rest of Wednesday and Thursday sorting my belongings and packing, and now I was sitting in Charlie's Police cruiser on Friday afternoon. Monday was New Years Day, and I'd be starting school on Wednesday.

One week and my life had been completely turned upside down. It still seemed so unreal, like I was waiting to wake up and laugh about the strange dream I'd had. I looked out the window at the trees flashing past and touched to freezing glass of the window where my breath condensed to fog the glass. This was as real as it gets.

"Ok, Char… dad, no problem." I lied. He didn't need to know that I was going to be gone in nine months. If I followed through with my plan, I'd miss most of my senior year in high school, but I could always get a GED. Hell, I could probably pass the test now, but Charlie would expect me to go to school regardless. Turning my grades around would be easy if it kept him off my back and kept me from being grounded for nine months.

"We'll split up the chores around the house. I don't expect you to move in and take care of me. I've done ok on my own. You'll do your share of the laundry and cleaning, and I'll expect you to pick up after yourself."

I nodded in agreement. It was only fair. Actually, I'd been in charge of the grocery shopping and most of the cooking in Phoenix. It had started off purely for survival if I expected to eat edible food. Renee liked to experiment, and I had taken over the kitchen as soon as I was old enough to reach the stove. I had a feeling it would be the same here from the stories Renee told me.

"Ok, now, this is the deal breaker. No second chances so don't screw this up. No more drugs. Are you clear on this one, Isabel? No pot, no coke, no prescription drugs that don't have your name on the prescription, no weird designer crap. I have to insist on this. It's my job and I can't look the other way. I won't have it in my house, and I won't have a drug addict for a daughter, Got it?"

"Ok, Ch… dad… I understand." I knew this one was coming, and it was going to be hard. I might have started off experimenting because I was mad at Renee, but it was fun and I liked it. I hadn't done any of that other stuff he talked about. Just some pot with my friends, but he had a point. He was the Chief of Police, and if I screwed up he'd have to go harder on me than some random kid in town. He'd have to make an example if I got caught. I'd have to make sure I didn't get caught.

"I can go easier on the rest and compromise. I know you kids like a party as much as anyone and we all need to blow off some steam now and again. That doesn't mean you can come home all liquored up or falling down drunk. A couple of beers never hurt no one, and I'll be the first to admit that I had my fair share when I was your age. You will not drive drunk, and you won't get into a car with anyone that's been drinking. As long as you can walk a straight line and act sober, I won't hold it against you as long as you're smart enough to not get caught. If I get called, I gotta do my job. Come home puking your guts out, and hung over in the morning, and we'll have this discussion again, but I won't be so lenient the next time. Are we clear?"

"You know, Charlie… dad…, I probably couldn't walk a straight line without tripping cold sober. I know what you mean, though. Just take my natural clumsiness into account and don't hold that against me. I can do this. I won't let you down." This one was easy to agree to. It was about what I was already doing with rare exceptions, so it should be an easy rule to follow.

"You can keep your cigarettes if you have to. I don't like it, and I wish you'd quit, but I'm not gonna try and make you be perfect just because you're coming to live with me. Your mom and I both used to smoke when we were your age. Your mom quit when she found out she was pregnant with you. I quit cold turkey at the same time to make it easier for her. I haven't had one in more than seventeen years. Never felt the urge to start back up after she left. You will not smoke in the house or my car. Otherwise I'll expect you to follow the law as best you can."

"I didn't know that about Renee… She never told me. I can live with that. It's not like I chain smoke as it is. It just helps settle my nerves sometimes…"

"Yeah, I get it. Like I said if you have to smoke something I prefer a cigarette now and then to something else…"

I nodded, relieved that this wouldn't be a constant battle of wits as I tried to hide everything and Charlie tried to catch me. I was more comfortable with things out in the open like this. I might be his daughter, but he was treating me like an adult as long as I proved I deserved his trust.

"Now this next one is a little more difficult for me to talk about. I haven't really gotten to see you grow up, and most of the time I still think of you as my little girl… Renee tells me you date? I assume you didn't have a steady boyfriend, or you would have put up more of a fight."

"No, no boyfriend. I've gone out on some dates, but nothing serious…" I shivered thinking about the last guy I'd been with.

"Ok… I assume Renee has talked to you about what to expect and what boys want…"

"Charlie… dad, Renee has given me "The Talk". We don't need to go there… I know how to say no, and where to draw the line. How does this pertain to our rules?"

"Right… I won't tell you that you can't date, or have a boyfriend, but I want to meet them first if they want to take you out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna try and run them off or anything. That doesn't mean I won't try to put the fear of god in them. If some guy wants to go out with my daughter, they'll show you the respect that you deserve. It's just that you're new in town, and you don't have experience with anyone here. You haven't grown up with them or had a chance to get to know them. I want to know who you'll be spending time with so I'll know if I can trust them. Can you live with that?"

"Going caveman on me Charlie? I suppose that's a reasonable request. I don't really date much to begin with, but I'm telling you up front. I have the final say on who I go out with. I'll honor your wishes to meet them, so you know who I'm with, but you don't get a veto. I choose who I'll spend time with or not."

"Ok. You might not want to hear this, but god you remind me of your mother. I remember her giving almost that same speech to her parents when we started going out. I can't fault her choices, and I'll trust you to make good decisions too."

"Thanks' Charlie, I really don't date that much. I haven't even been to Forks in what ten years? I'll let you know if I'm interested in anyone, but I seriously doubt that's going to happen." I didn't add that the last guy I'd been with had tried to date rape me. Besides, I'd be gone in nine months, and having a boyfriend would just be an unnecessary complication when I was finally ready to leave. I had no intention of getting tied down here, and the easiest way to avoid getting tied down was to not put down any roots. Besides, who could possibly be that interesting in a quiet little backwater town like Forks?

"Well, that's it for the most part. Go to school, keep your grades up, stay out of trouble, and I'll be happy. Now Renee told me that you've been thinking about buying a car?"

Sure, I wanted to buy a car. Forks was a small town. There wasn't much to do there and not many places to buy the things I'd want. The library had been pathetic even when I was only seven the last time I'd visited. There wasn't even a book store in Forks, and no place to buy clothes beyond a t-shirt or hiking pants. Port Angeles was an hour drive back the way we'd come, and Aberdeen was almost two and a half hours to the south. It was a three and a half hour drive and a ferry ticket to go to Seattle, unless you flew from Port Angeles, but then you'd have to rent a car to get around or take cabs.

Wanting to buy a car went beyond the basic teenaged need for a sense of independence here. If I wanted to go anyplace I needed a car. Besides I didn't like the idea of Charlie having to drive me around in his police cruiser.

Unfortunately, cars cost more than the price tag on the windshield. I had about three thousand dollars saved up in my bank account, but that was supposed to be part of my college fund, too. Cars needed gas and a multitude of other expenses. There was insurance to consider, and maintenance. Things like oil changes and new tires and repair fees if it broke down. Sure, I might be able to afford some late model beater, but there had been no mention of an allowance, and I didn't want to push my luck by bringing the subject up. I was lucky to be getting off easy without asking for perks.

"Yeah, we'd talked about it, but there wasn't anything decent in Phoenix that I could afford with my savings, and still keep something put up for college. I suppose it's just as well, I wouldn't have been able to bring it with me."

"Well, you know you're probably going to need a car of your own out here. There isn't any public transportation unless you go to Seattle. I can't just buy you a car, or your mother will think I'm trying to bribe you to not break the rules. You're going to have to make the decision whether or not to live up to our agreement, but I'll make a deal with you. Shop around for a car and see what you like. Follow the rules, and get your grades back on track. You hold a 3.5 GPA or better, and I'll go fifty-fifty to help you buy a car. Deal?"

"Ok… That's very cool… it's just…"

"What? You don't think you can hold up your part of the bargain? You used to be 4.0 every report card."

"No, it's not that. I think it's great that you're giving me the benefit of the doubt, and a second chance to prove myself, but cars take gas and insurance and oil changes and new tires. Once I buy a car how am I supposed to maintain it?"

"That's a good sign, Isabel. You're responsible enough to realize that cars cost money to own. I thought about that too after I talked to Renee about you moving out here. I did some checking around town to see what I could come up with. The sales girl that works at Newton's Outfitters just gave her two weeks notice. She's getting married and moving out of town. I talked to Karen Newton, and she hasn't posted the job or found anyone to fill the position yet. She owes me a favor or two, and she said she'd try you out for the job if you want it."

"You got me a job?"

"Only if you want it, and you'll have to prove yourself to keep it. She's just giving you a shot because she owes me, but it's up to you whether or not they keep you on. Its minimum wage and you'll only get about twenty hours a week because you're a student. That should cover gas and car expenses plus a little extra for some spending money. Keep your grades up and I'll pay for your insurance."

"Ok. I can do that. Exactly what kind of business is this Newton's Outfitters? I worked at the book store by our house in Phoenix last summer, but it didn't work out when I went back to school…," because I got fired for showing up to work drunk. Charlie probably didn't know that. I hadn't told Renee the real reason, but she had to suspect the truth.

"They sell camping gear and sporting goods. I didn't know you had retail experience. You shouldn't have any problems then."

"Alright, I'll give it a try. I don't know anything about camping or sporting goods, but if they're willing to train me I'll give it my best shot."

Charlie nodded and I figured the conversation was over. That was the most Charlie and I had really talked in years. It was probably more meaningful conversation than we'd shared on my last three vacations with him put together. I guess we'd never really had anything to say to each other before. I supposed it was my fault that it took something like me totally screwing up my life to get him to open up to me, but I was glad we'd talked. I felt closer to him now. I knew he cared about what happened to me and he seemed less like the ogre that Renee had always portrayed him as.

We drove in a comfortable silence down the highway through the dense green of the surrounding forest. Charlie and I were both quiet private people at heart, and neither of us felt the need to fill the silence with meaningless chatter just to hear the sound of another voice. I watched the trees flash past as we drove west on highway 101 and the green didn't seem quite as oppressive from down here. I couldn't really see the sky past the tops of the trees out the window, and that helped me to forget about the gray overcast sky for a while. We were past the halfway point in our journey to my new home when Charlie broke the silence.

"I don't know if you realize this, Isabel, but you have a truly unique opportunity here. You're getting a second chance to reinvent yourself. A lot of people talk about starting over. Turning over a new leaf and making a new life for themselves, but their past usually catches up with them eventually. I see it all the time in my work, but it's different for you."

"You're only seventeen and you don't have a record that's going to follow you and haunt background checks. Besides your mother and me, nobody that has anything to do with Forks knows anything about you here. Your mother isn't likely to show up anytime soon and she'll say what we ask if she knows it's helping you…"

"You can be anyone you want to be when you step out of this car. You can start over and you get to decide who you're going to be and what people know about you. I understand that it can be scary, and your first reaction might be to cling to what's easy or familiar, but nobody here knows you yet. It's a new town, new friends, new school, and a new opportunity. You don't have to be the girl that lived with Renee in Phoenix anymore."

"I know you're still angry with your mother. She broke your trust, and maybe you started acting out so you could hurt her too. I'm pretty sure it's more than just that now. Your eyes were opened to new possibilities, and maybe you liked the freedom that you felt cutting loose and partying with your friends. I understand that, but you've gotta set limits. You saw Renee break the rules and you wanted to break some rules too. I get it, but you're living with me now, and I haven't broken any rules. I've given you my rules, and I hope you're willing to live by them."

"You and Renee aren't together anymore. You divorced her… Isn't marriage a rule?"

"Renee left me, Isabel, and she took you with her. I made it official, because she wasn't responsible enough to follow through with the paper work. You know I'd take her back in a heartbeat and forgive her if she showed up and asked me too."

"I didn't know that… about the divorce… I'll try to follow your rules, Charlie. I really want to make this work…"

"It's just that you can be whoever you want to be here, Isabel. You don't have to live up to anybody's preconceived notions about who Isabella Swan is. When we get home and you step out of this car, you get to decide who Isabella Swan is going to be, and what the world knows about her."

I just nodded to acknowledge that I'd heard him so he wouldn't think I was ignoring him and he was just talking to himself.

"You just think about it, Bells. You can be your own person here. Be who you want to be."

Who I wanted to be.

I'd never been who I wanted to be. Frankly I didn't know who that was. I'd always been whatever everyone else thought I should be. I'd always been a rather closed off person to be honest, and I never really fit in with any crowd at school in Phoenix. I had maintained an excellent GPA, and had kind of fallen in with the honor society crowd by default. I wasn't really friends with any of them, and none of my teachers really knew me. If truth be told, I suppose I had been something of a geek until I had embraced the dark side and let my rebellious streak show through.

I had participated in extracurricular activities only as a spectator. I would follow my small group of almost friends to plays, pep rallies, and football and basketball games, but the majority of my peers never really knew what to say to me or how to interact with me. I had bought my way into the party crowd by being free with my meager cash reserve to bank roll the party. I had reduced my bank balance by half buying liquor, beer and pot to try and have a good time while I broke all the rules.

Well, maybe not all the rules. Ditching school? Check. Drinking? Sure. Drugs? Well I smoked some pot but nothing harder. Boys? I drew the line there. I might be breaking rules, but I hadn't gone insane. The upside was that I started dating, but I hadn't had time for it to get out of hand yet except for one glaring exception. I'd never really tried to have the right kind of fun or let anyone in.

It was like I'd gone from the light side to the dark side overnight and skipped over all the shades of gray in between. I'd been the good girl that didn't do anything wrong, and then suddenly I was the bad girl that did anything I wanted too as long as it pissed off Renee. Maybe it was time to explore those gray areas and find some balance. Charlie seemed to understand about the gray areas, and was willing to accept that things weren't always black and white.

I had embraced my dark rebellious side and started my life on the downward spiral into the dark. What had happened with James was just a taste of what I had to look forward to if I didn't make changes. I'd wasted so much time being afraid to put myself out there and let people in. I'd wasted so much time trying to be what other people wanted to the point that I didn't even know what I wanted. I'd wasted so much time trying to make Renee hurt like I was hurting when she betrayed me.

This place could be different, this time I could be different.

I had a second chance to reinvent myself. I didn't have to be the girl that had lived with Renee in Phoenix anymore. I got to decide who Isabella Swan was going to be, and what the world would know about her.

I could have friends here. I could have the right kind of parties here. I could have study groups and sleepovers and date nights. I could laugh and smile and allow people to get to know me. I could be happy if I wanted to. Well, happier, anyway. Until I left. Nine months of happy. It sounded better than nine months of hell. I could learn how to be a different person, and I'd have nine months to practice.

Charlie had the wipers going now, but it wasn't truly raining as we drove into town under the steel gray overcast sky. I let my fingertips trace across the freezing glass of the window of the cruiser where the moisture in the air condensed, beaded up, and ran in rivulets across the glass. We were coming into town now and we drove past the sign that boldly stated "Welcome to Forks" population 3122. Isabel Swan would have been despondent over the fact that she was driving into the last place on earth that she wanted to be. Isabel Swan would be upset by this weather and would brood and sulk and allow it to ruin her day. Isabel Swan would have reveled in the desolation of it.

I didn't have to be that girl anymore.

I got to decide who Isabella Swan was going to be.

Not Isabel.

Isabel Swan was a girl that lived in Phoenix and got into trouble. No, I would reinvent myself. A new town, a new school, a new me; I deserved a new name. Isabella Swan? No, people would make up a name for me if I didn't beat them to the punch, and I was taking charge of my life from here on out.

Bella? Yes that sounded better. I would be Bella Swan in Forks.

Bella wouldn't let the weather get her down. Bella was going to roll with it. It rained almost every day in Forks. Bella would understand that. Bella wouldn't let it get to her. Bella would find balance in her life and decide which shades of gray suited her between the dark and the light.

We were in town now, cruising down N. Forks Avenue. Not much had changed in the ten years since I'd been here last. We had driven past a Subway franchise on the way into town, and that was new, but the rest looked the same as I remembered it. Sully's Drive-in was still there, where Charlie had taken me for ice cream when I was little. The Forks Coffee Shop was still there on the corner of B Street and Forks Avenue. We'd eaten dinner there almost every night I was here the last time I'd come to visit. I still remembered the huge pancakes they served.

I knew the Bank of America was another couple of blocks up the street. I'd called my local branch in Phoenix, and they'd told me there'd be no problem transferring my account. I'd just need to stop in and sign a new signature card and order new checks.

We turned right onto B Street. If we would have turned left, we would have run into the school on the next block. I'd never gone there, but I knew where it was. Forks was a small town and it was hard to get lost. B Street turned southeast after a couple of blocks and became Bogachiel Way, and we cruised past the Forks Community Hospital.

Even in the small amount of time I'd spent in Forks in visits when I was little, I'd still had the misfortune to become familiar with the hospital emergency room. That seemed to be a recurring theme in my life wherever I lived. I moved, I fell down, I went to the hospital. I was practically on a first name basis with the emergency room staff in Phoenix. I'd probably be back here soon to get reacquainted with the nurses and Doctors here in Forks. At least it was close to home.

Charlie turned left onto Seventh Avenue, and we drove the six short blocks all the way to the corner at the end of the road. He followed the road around the corner to turn right onto K Street and we pulled into the driveway of the little white two-story house three houses down from the corner. 775 K St, Forks, Washington, I was home.

I got out of the cruiser and looked down the street as I walked back to the trunk and waited for Charlie to open it. The street matched the picture I had in my head of what I remembered from visits as a little girl. Small houses mostly single story scattered down the street in large yards. There weren't any fences separating the lots unlike the residential subdivision where I'd lived in Phoenix. There was too much landscaping and… vegetation… I wasn't used to yards filled with trees and bushes and all manner of plants and… greenery. The manicured yards in phoenix did good to simply keep a lawn green, let alone being overgrown with enough shrubbery, bushes and trees that they blocked the view of the house from the street.

There was a girl standing on the sidewalk as we pulled into the driveway. She was standing in front of a house down on the next block a couple of houses past Eighth Avenue. She stood watching as Charlie walked back to open the trunk, and waved as I took out a suitcase. Charlie grabbed my duffle bag and the other suitcase, and closed the trunk. I waved back at her as we walked into the yard, and then my view was blocked by the shrubbery as we walked up to the porch.

"Charlie? Who was that girl down the street when we got here? She waved to me when we were getting the bags out."

"I think that was Angela Weber, Isabel."

"Bella, Charlie," I corrected, praying that he'd accept the change. "Call me Bella now, dad. I thought about what you said, and I'm starting over. Isabel Swan was a girl that lived in Phoenix and got into trouble. Bella Swan lives in Forks with her dad, Charlie Swan."

"Bella, huh?" I glanced at him and saw the wide grin on his face. "Ok, I like it. You know I called you Bella when you were a baby, but Renee wouldn't hear of it. She'd always wanted an Isabel, so the name stuck."

"Thanks', dad. So that girl was Angela Weber?"

"Yeah, she lives down on the next block. You probably don't remember her, but you two played together when you were little. She's the same age as you, and she's probably in your class at school. She's a nice girl. Her father is a pastor at the Lutheran church. You should get to know her. I think she'd be a good friend for you."

"Meaning she's a good girl, and doesn't get into trouble? What if I'm a bad influence on her?"

"Angela's got a good head on her shoulders, and she knows right from wrong. You won't lead her astray, and she might be able to help you."

"Ok, Charlie, I'll think about it."

Charlie's cruiser was pulled up in front of the detached single car garage that was painted the same shade of faded white as the house. At first glance the little white house looked exactly how I remembered it. The faded white paint was almost a dull gray from years of weathering. The shutters next to the windows had been painted blue to try and add some color, but it didn't look like they had been touched since my mom had lived here with Charlie. There was something different about the house, but it wasn't an obvious difference, and it hadn't really registered yet. I'd have to give it some thought. We walked up the steps onto the porch, and Charlie reached up under the eave for the key and unlocked the door to let us in.

I walked through the door and I was standing in the middle of the house after half a dozen steps. The downstairs was all living room and kitchen with a stairway that led upstairs to the two bedrooms and the bathroom. There was a laundry closet under the stairs with a washer and dryer. You wouldn't have much luck trying to hang laundry out to dry here. There was a doorway in the kitchen that led down to the basement, but it had been unfinished and wet the last time I'd visited.

Charlie followed me into the house and shut the door. He didn't stop, and headed up the stairs. I sighed at the wave of nostalgia I felt, and then followed him up the stairs. He turned to the door to the room at the front of the house, and pushed the door open.

"Bathroom's still in the same place, at the end of the hall…" He said as he nodded in the direction he'd indicated. Then he stepped into the room.

"Yeah, right, just one bathroom…"

This would be interesting sharing a bathroom with my dad. I hadn't really had my own bathroom in Phoenix, but Renee had her own bathroom in the master bedroom suite. The bathroom in the hall by my room had become my bathroom by default. I cringed at the thought of what this would mean, but we'd make it work. What choice did I have?

I sighed and followed Charlie into the room that had been mine since I was born although I hadn't set foot in it for ten years.

The room looked pretty much the same, but I was pleasantly surprised at the changes. The walls were still painted a bright blue. Renee's attempt to brighten the nursery for the boy she had been convinced she was carrying. Originally there had been an ancient crib in this room. It had been replaced with a twin bed that I'd slept in when I'd come for my yearly two week visits until I was seven. Now the twin bed had been replaced by a much newer looking double bed. There was a bright purple comforter on the bed and two pillows at the carved wooden head board. There was a matching wood footboard, and a purple and white lace bed skirt surrounded the lower half below the mattress.

There was a polished wood night stand or small bedside table next to the bed. It had a reading lamp on top, and there were a couple of drawers on the front. My grandmother's vanity with the large oval mirror and red velvet covered bench was next to the closet, and the matching dresser was on the wall beside the door. My grandmother's rocking chair was in the corner by the window looking out of the front of the house. There was the same large off white oval rug that I remembered from my visits lying on the floor next to the bed. The sturdy looking old fashioned but serviceable desk on the other side of the window was new. There was a desk lamp, computer monitor, keyboard and mouse sitting on top. There was a printer on a shelf at the back of the desk, and the computer tower was under the desk. I could see a cable stapled along the wall behind the desk and running through the wall under the window. Charlie must have gone all out if that was a connection for a cable modem. There was a new looking office chair in front of the desk on five casters.

"You like purple, right? The sales lady at the store picked everything out…"

"Sure, Purple is great…"

"I've got internet access setup for you in here so you can e-mail Renee, and work on your homework here if you like. There's notes in the desk drawer with login information if you need it, but the guy from the cable company said it was good to go. I hear some of the teachers at the high school are letting their classes submit home work electronically on the school website, but I got you a printer so you can print hard copies if you need them."

"Thanks' dad."

"I want you to feel at home here…, Bella. I'll leave you alone now so you can unpack."

That was the nice thing about Charlie, he didn't hover. Renee would have wanted to go through my suitcases, and there would have been discussion of where every piece of clothing ended up as she considered the pro and cons of which drawer to put them in. It would have taken her a half hour to decide how to place the clock radio on the nightstand next to the bed, and then almost as long for her to figure out how to set the correct time and the alarm.

I set my small stack of CD's next to the CD clock radio, and put my IPod dock on the desk next to the computer. It didn't take long to empty my suitcases into the dresser, and hang up the few items on hangers in the closet. I didn't know when I'd have an opportunity to wear any of the half dozen pair of shoes I set on the closet floor. I was wearing a brand new pair of waterproof boots now, and I missed my sneakers and sandals. Heck, I'd even trade the kitten heel pumps or the one pair of ridiculously high heels that I owned for the boots, but they were practical and kept my feet dry. I'd see what the other kids wore and see where there were chances to trade off.

I put my small collection of intimate things in the top drawer of the night stand. I figured that was a good place for Bob. Bob was part of my birthday present on my sixteenth birthday. I knew I was blushing halfway to my toes even thinking about it. Bob was the battery operated boyfriend, the vibrator that Renee had given me for my birthday that year. She'd bought me some intimate lingerie too, and we'd had the talk again, but she went into a lot more specific detail this time around. She told me that she wasn't pushing me into having sex, but she knew I was thinking about it, and she wanted me to be prepared for it when it happened.

I'd put my birth control pills into the drawer in the nightstand as well. That had been the other change when I turned sixteen, the visit to the doctor and a prescription. Renee didn't want me to make the same mistakes that she had, and said that an ounce of protection was worth a pound of cure. She knew what could happen in the heat of the moment, despite the best of intentions. Wanting to use a condom and remembering to actually use a condom was too iffy a circumstance in her book, and the road to the delivery room was paved with good intentions.

I think that was what had really pissed her off when she found my ruined panties stuffed into my purse. Renee really didn't mind if I had sex as long as I did it the right way. If I had a boyfriend and was going out for a while and we thought we were in love. She considered sex to be a normal natural part of a relationship, and as long as I took precautions, she expected it. What pissed her off was thinking that I'd just slept with some guy I'd just met out of the blue and had no other connection to, besides wanting to 'get it on'.

I put my toiletries bag, hair brush, and a small collection of beauty supplies and makeup on the vanity, just a curling iron, some light powder cover-up, eye liner, mascara, clear lip balm, a few lipsticks and a tiny collection of eye shadow. I'd never really been much of one for the whole makeup and painted nails thing, but it was a by product of my rebellious period. I had started dating, and my new girlfriends had taught me a thing or two about what boys liked and how to get ready to go out on a date. It was still pretty experimental, but I was learning and I didn't look like a clown or a kid with face paint anymore when I put on makeup now. I had the basics down pat and was getting better.

I sat down in front of my grandmother's vanity mirror and looked at myself. I still looked like the girl that had been Isabel. I was very fair-skinned, with long, straight, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. My face appeared heart-shaped, wider at the forehead with a widow's peak, large, wide-spaced eyes, prominent cheekbones, and then a thin nose and a narrow jaw with a pointed chin. I thought my lips were a little out of proportion, a bit too full for my jaw line. My eyebrows were darker than my hair and more straight than they were arched. I stood five foot four inches tall in my stocking feet. I was slender and did not appear at all muscular. I weighed in about 110 pounds, dripping wet, and I'd never had any trouble with my weight. If anything it was the opposite and Renee was always on my case to eat something. Renee told me I was pretty, but I felt that she had to say that, because she was my mom. I'd always though of myself as kind of plain, and I felt self-conscious about my looks.

I briefly considered doing something to change my look to go along with the new me. Maybe cut my hair or something, but I rejected the idea. I couldn't change my past, and nobody needed to know about it for me to be a different person here. Nobody here knew Isabel or what she looked like. I'd simply be Bella here, and If I liked her, then she would be the new me.

I got up and folded up the duffle bag and put it in the closet. Then I collected my suitcases and set them by the door. I'd have to ask Charlie where I should put them. I suppose I could have put them in the closet, but it was already much smaller than my closet in Phoenix without taking up the available space with empty suitcases. Of course, I didn't really own a lot of Forks appropriate clothing in Phoenix so there hadn't been a lot to put away. I'd have to talk to Charlie about a shopping trip soon, but I had enough thins to mix and match to get by for a while.

There was a coat closet next to the front door downstairs so I grabbed my new winter coat off the bed. I went downstairs to take a look at the rest of the house and ask Charlie about the suitcases. I assumed it would be easy to find him. There were only two rooms and a couple of closets, but I didn't see him. He must have gone outside for a minute. I hung up my winter coat in the closet and took a look around.

The same three faded green pieces of furniture were in the same places in the living room. I felt a flood of nostalgia as I looked at the sofa against the wall, a matching love seat opposite it, and Charlie's easy boy recliner sitting between them facing the TV. The television set was new. It was a modern forty-two inch flat screen, and it gave me a sense of where Charlie's priorities lay. There was still an older model VCR on the shelf below it rather than one of the newer DVD players, but the cable box beside it looked new.

I glanced around the room and then I took a closer look at the pictures on the mantle over the fireplace. I blushed as I realized that they appeared to be a pictorial history of my life. There was Charlie and Renee's wedding picture from a chapel in Las Vegas. It was eerie how much I looked like my mother in the photograph. She was wearing a long white dress, but it wasn't a 'wedding dress'. She had a short veil pinned to her head, and she'd told me that the chapel had let her borrow it for the ceremony. She was holding a cheap looking bouquet of flowers, but she looked happy. I'd found a copy of this picture hidden in an album in Renee's closet when we'd dug out the family albums during Renee's scrapbooking phase. I'd seen a version of the next picture too. It was the three of us together in Renee's room at the Forks Community Hospital. I was the pink wiggler wrapped in the blanket in Renee's arms. The remaining pictures were a succession of my school photographs standing in frames from my kindergarten class picture on up through the most recent school picture from the beginning of eleventh grade last September.

I'd have to talk to Charlie about this. Maybe I could get him to take them down or put them someplace else. At least while I was here… I went into the Kitchen to take a look while I waited for Charlie to come back from wherever he had disappeared to.

The kitchen looked the same. It was the same utilitarian white as the rest of the rooms. The cabinets had been painted a bright canary yellow by my mother in an attempt to bring the sun into this sunless place. The curtains over the sink matched the cabinets. It was neat and clean with a scrubbed efficiency, but it hadn't been upgraded or improved upon since Charlie's parents had lived here. The same small oval kitchen table that I remembered was still there in the middle of the room with its eclectic collection of three mismatched chairs.

The old gas stove was a vintage antique, probably older than my dad. There was an array of more modern appliances on top the kitchen counter. Toaster, coffee maker, microwave, and an electric can opener, but that was it. The refrigerator was more recent that the ancient stove, but not by much, and was likely the same one that had held my juice when I was a baby. It still had a faded handmade father's day card that I'd made in the fifth grade stuck to the front with a magnet.

There was no dishwasher, but there was a dish rack drainer to stack hand washed dishes to air dry sitting on the counter next to the serviceable looking enameled double sinks. Looked like it was back to basics and old fashioned KP while I served my sentence… NO! That was Isabel talking. Bella accepted how her father lived, and if it meant washing some dishes, then she'd wash dishes. Complaining wouldn't change the fact that the dishes needed to be cleaned.

I looked through the cabinets and cupboards to familiarize myself with where to find everything and where Charlie kept things.

My god! Didn't he eat here? Mother Hubbard's dog had a better chance of survival here than I did apparently. To his credit, I did find a box of instant pancake mix and an almost empty bottle of real maple syrup. There was a sack of flower, a container of sugar, instant non-dairy creamer, and a couple of tins of coffee. There was a box of salt and a tin of pepper, and a handful of spice containers. The chili powder and cayenne pepper looked the newest, and were probably the most frequently used. One cabinet held a box of microwave popcorn packages, two half empty boxes of pop tarts, and a half dozen cans of extra spicy hot chili.

Seriously, that was it? I did find a jar in with the plates labeled "food money", with a couple of twenties and some smaller bills stuck in it. I didn't count it, and didn't touch it. Charlie must truly be giving me the benefit of the doubt if he was willing to leave cash lying out even though he had agreed to take in his troubled teen daughter. Of course Charlie had said that Renee had told him everything, and I'd never stolen from my mother to pay for my excesses. I'd still had a job at first, and when I burned that bridge, I'd started to dip into the money I'd inherited from my grandmother's estate. It wasn't much. She'd intended it as the beginning of a college fund. I felt guilty now that I'd blown so much of it financing my rebellion.

I shook myself out of my reverie and moved on to the refrigerator. Maybe I'd have better luck there. Or not…

Seriously, how did he survive? A half empty carton of eggs, a tub of margarine, ketchup, and spicy brown hot mustard, that was it? There were a couple of six-packs of beer on the bottom shelf with two cans gone. I was unfamiliar with the container on the second shelf. It looked like a small plastic unmarked dairy container that would hold cottage cheese or sour cream, but the lid was perforated with tiny holes. I picked it up and snapped off the lid to look inside.

Dirt? Why would you keep a container of dirt in the fridge? Then the dirt moved. My stomach did a little flip flop and for a second I thought I was gonna loose it, but it had been a long time since breakfast, and I hadn't had lunch yet. Otherwise it would have been on the kitchen floor.

Worms! He kept worms in the refrigerator in the kitchen? I didn't drop the container, and hastily snapped the lid back on before any of the… things inside… could escape. We were going to talk about this! No question, the old Isabel and the new Bella were both outraged over this one! There would be no worms in the refrigerator where we kept our food!

I set the container back on the shelf and closed the door. Maybe I could sanitize the fridge and salvage it, or maybe I could talk Charlie into moving it out to the garage and getting a new one… We'd have to talk…

I opened the freezer. Ok, par for the course, there were half a dozen frozen TV dinners and a huge stack of foil and plastic wrapped packages practically overflowing out the door. I gingerly took one of the packages out and peeled back the foil and plastic wrap to look inside. Maybe there was something edible here after all… Well, I had to admit it had some marginal possibilities, but I'd have to get creative with this if I wanted to survive. Apparently we had a three year supply of frozen fish. I wasn't a huge fan of seafood, but I could eat it even if it wasn't my first choice.

I sat down at the table with a notepad from a drawer in the kitchen, and made a list of basic necessities and staples. Then I noted down some simple meal ideas and fleshed out the list with what I'd need to make them. I was finishing up when the phone rang. It was an ancient looking wall phone that matched the rest of the room, like some throwback to the nineteen sixties. I got up and reached for the handset that was still connected to the big clunky base unit with a thick coiled cord. Jeez' the phone even had a rotary dialer! Did those still even work? Well I knew it would at least receive calls, it was ringing now.

"Swan residence," I answered the phone.

"_Oh… Is this little Isabella? I forgot Charlie was going to pick you up today. Is the Chief around?_"

"Yes, this is Bella. May I ask who's calling?"

"_This is Officer Mark Chapman down at the police station, ma'am. I really need to talk to the Chief._"

"Charlie wasn't downstairs when I finished unpacking. I think he may have stepped out…"

"No, I'm here, Bella. Let me have the phone."

I whirled, startled at his sudden appearance, I hadn't heard him come in. Charlie was closing the basement door behind himself. He locked the sturdy looking deadbolt on door with a loud metallic click as the bolt shot home and he dropped the key into his pocket. So apparently the basement was off limits. It just made me wonder what he had down there.

"It's Mark from the Police Station," I said and handed the phone to Charlie.

"Chief Swan," Charlie spoke into the receiver in his official 'cop' voice, and listened to the reply.

"You sure, Mark?" and he listened.

"Ok, I'll be there in a couple of minutes." He hung up the phone.

"I have to run down to the Police station for a while, Bells. Are you going to be ok here by yourself?"

"I'm seventeen years old, Charlie. I don't need a baby sitter. I'll be fine. Actually, I was thinking about going for a walk and taking a look around the neighborhood. School doesn't start for four days… Maybe I can meet some people." We were walking into the living room as I talked.

Charlie stopped in front of the coat closet, and buckled on his gun belt with his service revolver, handcuffs, pepper spray, and ammo pouches. He took out his keys and opened a cabinet against the wall in the closet and took out took out a dangerous looking pump action shotgun and a smaller object, before he locked the cabinet.

"Renee said you both took a self-defense class together. You're certified for pepper spray, right?" Charlie handed me the smaller object. It was a can of pepper spray. "You know how to use this?"

"Yeah, flip up the tab, press the button. Aim for the center of mass but find the eyes and sweep the target. Don't stop 'til the cans empty then run like hell."

"That'll do for now. Ok, explore town if you want, but stay out of the forest, ok?"

"Sure. What's going on Charlie? What did Mark tell you?"

"I don't want to scare you, Bella, but I won't lie to you. There's been some weird stuff going on out at La Push, some missing person's reports and rumors of something in the forest out there, but nothing solid to go on. We don't have jurisdiction out there, and the tribal council won't let us investigate on the reservation. Some hikers found some remains down south of the reservation, and they're on our side of the line so I need to go take a look. I might be late tonight."

"Ok. Stay safe dad…"

"I always am. Bye, Bella," he said as I followed him out the door.

"Charlie, tomorrow we need to go shopping. Do you even eat here?"

"No, not often really, most nights I eat in town at the coffee shop."

"Well, I'm letting you know, I'm taking over kitchen duty here."

"Fine, Bells. The place could use a woman's touch. Be safe." Then he was gone as he backed the Police cruiser out of the driveway and turned to drive back down to Seventh Avenue.

I walked back towards the porch, and looked the house over again. It finally struck me what was different. The basement windows had all been replaced, and looked newer, but they were shuttered from the inside and blocked the view into the basement. I walked around to the side of the house where the exterior stairs led down to the basement from under the low flat angled cover, but it was different now too. The old warped wooden cover had been replaced with a solid looking metal hatch cover with massive steel hinges and metal locking bar that socketed into solid metal end caps like a bank vault. I knew I wouldn't be getting through this door without a key.

I went back into the house and got my purse from my room and dropped the pepper spray inside, Better safe than sorry, and Charlie was worried enough to give it to me. I went back downstairs and got my jacket back out of the closet and put it on. I stepped out the front door and locked it with the key from under the eave.

New town, new school, new me. I reached into my purse and took out a cigarette and lit it on the porch and then walked down to the sidewalk. This was all about finding balance. Well apparently Bella was nervous enough to really want a cigarette right now.

I turned right toward Eighth Avenue and set off down the block. I wondered if Angela would still be out or if she'd see me and come out to say hi? She'd seemed friendly enough when I first arrived. I didn't really know which house she lived in, and I'd feel real awkward walking up to her door and saying, 'hi, remember me? We used to play together when we were seven'.

Maybe I'd just keep walking and walk around the block and take a look at the neighborhood like I'd told Charlie I was going to do. I crossed Eighth Avenue and I was almost down to where I'd seen Angela standing on the sidewalk watching me get my suitcase out of the trunk. I was walking slowly, checking out the houses as I went. The next house had 'J. Weber' stenciled in neat letters on the plain black mailbox bolted to the wrought iron fence surrounding the front yard and a sign hanging over the front door said 'The Weber's'. I had a pretty good idea that this was probably Angela's house.

I steeled my resolve took one last long drag and tossed my cigarette down into the gutter. It went out with a hiss and a puff of steam when it hit the thin stream of water running towards the storm drain grate. I walked up to the gate at the walkway to the front porch, and I felt the strangest sensation pass through me as I reached for the gate to push it open. It was almost like a sense of dread. I was suddenly wary like I could anticipate something wrong or different. A tingle ran down my spine and fine hairs on my arms stood on end. It was like a fight or flight response as though somebody had scratched their nails down a chalkboard.

I touched the gate and jerked my fingers away when it shocked me. It felt like a strong static electric shock jumped across to my finger tips like the spark of electricity when you dragged you feet on the carpet in a department store and touched something metal. Only this shock was stronger and made my hand numb. I rubbed my fingertips with my other hand and looked up at the house. My jaw almost fell open as I gawked at the house. For a fraction of a second it seemed to shimmer like there was some kind of barrier in the air around the house. It looked like a heat distortion mirage shimmer like you'd see in Phoenix on a hot day when distant objects were distorted by the hot air raising off the sun baked pavement, but it wasn't a hundred degrees here with the hot dry weather that made things like that possible.

This was just too weird, and I'd had enough weird and new to last me for a long time. I wasn't really ready to deal with anymore weirdness right now. I was backing away, about to turn and flee down the street and wait for another opportunity to meet Angela some other time when the front door opened, and the girl I'd seen on the sidewalk was striding down the walkway to meet me. I assumed it was Angela Weber.

She looked to be about the same age as me, but I thought I had been the president of the geek patrol… If this girl was Angela Weber, then she had me beat by a mile. I wasn't going to judge, though. I had been there, and I knew what it was like to have people judge you because of how you dressed or acted around other people. She had to be six feet tall and was thin in the extreme and willowy. I could sense her quiet reserve and an aura of power seemed to emanate from her, but I knew she was kind of quiet and shy like me just looking at her. She had gentle brown eyes and light brown hair with streaks of honey blond in it, but it was pulled back into a bun, held in place with a couple of hair sticks. She wore thick wireframe glasses that looked slightly anachronistic and heavy. She was wearing an ankle length gap tiered maxi skirt in shades of blue and an off white draw string smock style peasant top. It was belted at the waist with a leather and chain belt with an adjustable metal closure. She was wearing a maxi length cable knit cardigan over the ensemble that was open down her front and hung to mid calf and retro style close fitted ladies boots with a pointed toe and lacing up the sides.

"Hi, I saw you getting your things out of Chief Swan's car this afternoon. You must be his daughter, Isabella. I heard you were coming to live with him now. I don't know if you remember me, I'm Angela Weber," and she held her hand out to me.

"Hi, Angela, Yeah, Charlie's my dad, but please call me Bella," and I shook her hand. It was warm and her grip was strong but not over powering. I felt a sense of peace at her touch and felt less self-conscious about meeting somebody new.

"Ok, Bella, I like that. So, Bella it looked like you were going to come up to the house, but then you stopped. Can I help you with something?" She had a friendly smile on her face, and I felt like I could trust her.

"Well, Charlie had to go down to the Police station, so I thought I'd take a walk and explore the neighborhood. I asked about you when I saw you on the sidewalk earlier, and Charlie reminded me that I'd known you when we were little. He suggested that I ought to talk to you, so I was going to say hi, but the strangest thing happened when I touched the gate. I got a shock and felt the strangest sensation like I should leave or get away."

"Well, c'mon then. I'll walk with you and show you around the neighborhood. Actually I was getting ready to go out myself to visit a friend, you can come with me if you'd like," We turned and continued down the block the same direction that I'd been heading. "You said you got shocked? Has anything like that happened before?"

"Well never when it was so wet like it is here in Forks. It was almost like static electricity when you drag your feet on carpet, but that usually only happens when the air is dry, and this felt so much stronger. You know, for a second there I thought I saw a shimmer in the air around your house, like the way things shimmer from the heat off the desert, or maybe a barbecue when you're grilling, weird, huh?"

"Yeah… And you've never seen anything like that before?"

"No… Should I have?" I just thought it was a weird coincidence.

"Oh, I don't know. There are a lot of strange things in the universe. I like to keep an open mind about the possibilities." Angela had a contemplative look on her face and a half smile but I just let it go. If it was important, she'd tell me about it.

We chatted as we walked down the street and got to know one another. Charlie had been right. Angela was the same age as me and we were both juniors at Forks high school. It seemed like Angela and I had a lot of the same interests. We'd read a lot of the same books and liked the same movies. She was a member of the honor society here and we'd shared a lot of similar experiences in school, despite the fact that we had lived thousands of miles apart and went to different schools. The difference was that Angela seemed self-assured and confident and liked who she was while I had never fit in anywhere and was still searching for who I wanted to be.

We turned right onto Russell Road and Angela continued to point out the houses of people that she knew and people that she went to school with. People I would be going to school with. She wasn't critical of anyone that she mentioned and didn't gossip as she shared information about the people that lived in Forks. I couldn't imagine that all the people that she commented on would be quite so forgiving of Angela's apparent eccentricities.

We turned right again onto H Street and then we turned left after a couple of houses onto Ninth Avenue. The street was short with one house on the left side of the street, and then it flowed into a broad round corner where it met G Street. Angela led me towards the large white house inside the bend of the corner. I thought I saw her surreptitiously make a gesture with her hand as we stepped onto the walkway up to the porch, but I pretended that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Maybe it was just a nervous gesture and or one of her eccentricities. She seemed like a nice girl and I wasn't going to judge. I liked her and wanted her to be my friend.

I followed Angela up onto the porch and waited with her after she knocked on the door. The door opened and there was a boy standing in the doorway. He had a huge smile on his face and I could tell he only had eyes for Angela. He didn't even seem to notice that I was there. He stepped in front of Angela and wrapped his arms around her waist possessively, pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and leaned down and gave him a quick kiss and then pulled away smiling at him.

"Jeez, Ange, I've been waiting forever. I thought you were gonna drive when you said you were coming over. I didn't think you were gonna walk. I would have picked you up. My parents drove to Port Angeles to go shopping and out to dinner, and we have the house all to ourselves…" I think that was when he finally realized that Angela wasn't alone, and he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye as he held Angela.

"Really guy's, I can find my way home if you want to be alone… I didn't realize… I don't want to intrude," I stammered.

"No, Bella, it's no problem. I wanted to introduce you to Ben. Bella Swan, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Ben Cheney. Ben, this is Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter. She just moved here from Phoenix today."

Ben stepped away from Angela but kept his arm around her waist, and really looked at me for the first time. It was like he did a double take, as though he'd been unable to believe his eyes and the first impression he'd made when he looked at me. He had a stunned expression on his face, and his lips shaped a silent whistle of surprise as awe spread over his face as he looked me up and down.

"Wow…" was all he could say as he stared at me. I could tell that he was totally into Angela, and I knew he wasn't checking me out the way a guy would look at a girl that he found attractive. It was like he was looking at all of me and appreciating something unseen that most people wouldn't have noticed, but I didn't know what he could possibly find so awe inspiring about me.

I stood my ground and returned his stare and examined him in return. Ben Cheney was five foot seven and looked like he was of Asian descent with straight black hair, and dark brown eyes. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Angela towered over him, and was at least five inches taller, but he didn't seem to let it faze him, and I knew that he absolutely adored her. They made a cute couple and I could tell they were deeply in love.

"Ok, that's enough staring, Ben. Now invite us in before we freeze out here," Angela said and started to pull him back into the house.

"Yeah, C'mon in Bella, get out of the cold. Can I take your coat?"

"Ok, thanks'," and I followed them into the house. I stopped inside the door after Ben closed it, shrugged out of coat, and handed it to Ben.

The house was nice with modern furnishings and was tastefully decorated. We went into the family room and Angela sat down on the love seat and I found a spot on a comfortable looking sofa across from her. Ben asked if we'd like refreshments and disappeared into the kitchen for a minute. He set a Pepsi down in front of me on a coaster on the coffee table, and sat down next to Angela and pulled her into his arms.

"So, Bella, how long have…" Ben started

"Bella came over to see if I was home this afternoon," Angela cut him off. "The strangest thing happened. She said she got a shock when she tried to open the gate in front of my house."

"She did?" Ben asked puzzled.

"Yeah, we were trying to figure out what could have caused it on the walk over here. You know, I saw the cable company out there last week. I wonder if they grounded everything properly."

"You're serious, aren't you," Ben said, and looked at me with the awestruck expression again.

The conversation turned to more normal topics after that. We talked about school and the people that went to the school. Which teachers were nice and which ones weren't. They told me that although the school was supposed to be a tobacco free zone, there was a spot out behind the gym where people went to smoke and the teachers and faculty didn't harass them out there. Some of the teachers went there to smoke too, so it was considered neutral territory.

We talked about Forks and what there was to do here, and where you had to go for the things that you couldn't find in Forks. Ben was into martial arts, and drove out to Port Angeles twice a week for classes. Otherwise he didn't play any sports in school. That led to a discussion of our favorite movie genres. Of course Ben was in love with martial arts movies and the typical guy action adventure films. Angela liked the more artsy films and dramas, and I admitted that I was a sucker for the typical chick flick romances.

Ben's family had a fairly extensive DVD collection, and he had a ton of new release movies that I hadn't seen. He had a couple of uncles that worked in Seattle, and made regular business trips to China. The family would give them lists of the titles that they were interested in. His uncles would buy them for pennies on the dollar from dealers in China, and bring them home for the family.

We decided to watch a movie, and Angela and Ben let me choose which title we'd watch. Ben dimmed the lights and got me another soda before cuddling up with Angela on the love seat. I wasn't so engrossed in the movie that I didn't notice when they slipped away together and headed back into another part of the house. They were gone for most of the movie, but were back on the couch before the closing credits ran.

It was getting late and I really should have checked by now. Charlie had said he'd probably be late, but if he was home now, he'd be worried about me. I took out my cell phone and dialed Charlie's house. It still seemed odd to think of it being my house too. The phone rang about six times, and then there was a click and the ring sounded different. The phone picked up after another ring.

"_Forks Police Department_," the man on the phone said. Charlie must have had call forwarding turned on.

"Hi, this is Bella Swan. Is Chief Swan still there?" I asked.

"_Just a minute, ma'am, I'll check_" the sound was muffled but I heard. "_Hey, I got a Bella Swan on the phone asking for the Chief… OK._" The voice came back on, "_He just came in. I'll connect you now._"

"_Hey, Bella, What's going on? Is something wrong?_" Charlie asked.

"No, Charlie, I was just checking in. I called the house, and I got forwarded to the Police station. I'm with Angela Weber and Ben Cheney, and we watched a movie at Ben's house."

"_Ok, Bella, I'm glad you're making friends already. I should be home in an hour or two. We still have a ton of paperwork to write up and file for this mess…_"

"Tell your dad that you can eat dinner at my house if you want," Angela told me, and I smiled and nodded at her.

"Hey, Charlie, Angela invited me to eat dinner over at her house tonight. I'll hang out with Angela, and I'll see you when you get home, Ok?"

"_Sounds like a good Idea, Bells. Have fun, and I'll see you when you get home_."

"Thanks', dad, see you later," and I ended the call. I clicked my phone shut and dropped it into my purse.

"So, what's the plan, Angela," I asked.

"Well, it's getting close to dinner time, and you told your dad you were gonna hang out with me, so why don't we head back to my house, and you can meet my family." Then she turned to Ben and kissed his cheek. "Will you give us a ride? It's getting late and it's dark out now."

"Sure thing, Ange, you know I would have picked you up too, if you would have asked."

We got up and Ben got my coat for me. Angela and I picked up the family room while Ben was getting the coats and got rid of the pop cans. I followed Ben and Angela through the kitchen and out into the garage. The garage was large with room for at least four cars. The two spaces closest to the kitchen were empty. I could see some kind of four wheel drive jeep or SUV parked in the next spot, but Ben lead us past it to where a smaller car was parked.

I could tell this was as much a workshop for working on cars as much as it was a place to park it. The walls were lined with toolboxes and esoteric diagnostic equipment and a variety of parts in various states of disassembly. One piece looked like an almost complete motor bolted to a stand with wheels on the bottom to move it around, but it was draped with a cloth to keep dust out, and I couldn't see the details. The walls were decorated with posters of cars and cars racing and cars doing stunts. Most of the posters actually concentrated on the subject matter, and I considered it a sign of Ben's character that the models in the posters were mostly fully clothed and the cars seemed to be the primary interest in displaying the poster.

The car was a late model Japanese import, and I could tell it was a Toyota from the tinted band across the top of the windshield and the stickers on the back windows. It was a two door coupe, and Angela held the seat forward for me so I could slide into the backseat. The car was painted bright red with a black hood and hard top. I could tell a lot of hard work had gone into this car and money too. It had shiny chrome mag wheels, and it looked like a lot of the interior had been replaced with custom seats and a fancy stereo system. Ben pressed a button on the remote clipped to the sun visor, and the garage door opened.

"What kind of car is this, Ben?" I asked as we were backing out of the garage.

I noticed the faint traces of a very familiar pungent odor of smoke from the cushions of the back seat, but I didn't say anything. Ben and Angela seemed like a really great couple and were nice people, and I wasn't going to ruin it by asking then if they smoked pot too. That was in my past, and I had to let it go.

"It's a 1986 Toyota Corolla Levin AE86."

"Ok… What does that mean in non-car speak English? I got the Toyota part, and I've heard of a Corolla before. This is a really nice car, but isn't an '86 kind of old?"

Ben laughed, but I could tell he wasn't laughing at me. He seemed shocked at the absurdity of my comment.

"Yeah, actually it's officially an antique this year. The 86' Levin AE86 is a classic for street racing and drifting. Tuners all over the world collect this make and model to fix up and restore. Used ones are actually imported back into Japan to feed the tuner market over there. I was lucky to find this one in Tacoma. I did all the restoration and tuning myself… well, my uncles helped, but I picked out all the custom gear and did most of the installs by myself. I rebuilt this engine myself, and I'm working on another one to swap in later."

"Wow, you really know a lot about cars, don't you. So is there a lot of racing and… drifting… going on around here?"

"We see our fair share. There really isn't much else to do around here, and there are some awesome roads and turns winding through the forest out here."

"Don't worry, Bella, I keep speed racer here on a pretty tight leash when it comes to the dangerous stuff, but it's fun driving fast sometimes," Angela said.

Ben seemed to know a lot about cars, and I wanted to tell him I was looking for a car to buy and ask for his help, but we were pulling into Angela's driveway now, and I hadn't had a chance to mention it.

"So, are you coming tonight, Ange?" Ben asked.

"No, just be careful and don't let that jerk Newton goad you into doing anything stupid. This is Bella's first night in town, and I want to get to know her better."

Angela got out of the car and held the seat forward so I could climb out of the back. She leaned back into the car and kissed Ben good bye, and we waved when he pulled out of the driveway and drove away down the street.

Suddenly I heard the motor rev loud. The back wheels spun and broke traction and smoked as he burned rubber. The car shot down the street. It spun around 180 degrees in the middle of the road and suddenly he was going backwards and skidded to a stop before the intersection. He flashed the headlights at us, and then purple ground effect lights lit up under the car. The tires spun again as the rear end of the car drifted sideways while the purple lights cast an eerie glow through the smoke and steam form the wet pavement. Then the front of the car was facing the turn and he rocketed down the road out of sight.

"Wow," I said. "That looks dangerous… does Ben always drive like that?"

"No, he's just showing off, but a lot of the kids around here are into that kind of stunt driving. It's what they call drifting. It's really popular in Japan and the other Asian countries. There are competitions starting up over here now too." We had turned toward the house and were walking toward the porch as Angela continued.

"It used to be a problem, and the kids here were causing a lot of trouble for your dad, but Dr. Cullen talked to the City council last year and got them to let the kids use part of the Quillayute State Airport for race nights and practice. I heard that he agreed to pay for the insurance for the airport if they'd let them race out there. It helped quiet things down in town at least. A lot of the kids still like to drift on the roads through the forest. There are still some accidents, but not as bad as before."

We were on the porch now and Angela led me into the house. She took my coat and hung it up by the door and then I followed her through the living room into the kitchen. I could hear TV sounds in the family room beyond the kitchen.

There was a woman cooking in the kitchen, and I assumed she was Angela's mother. She was tall but not as tall as Angela, standing about five foot ten. She had the same light brown hair with streaks of honey blond, but it was cut short.

"Mom," and the woman turned to greet her. "This is Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter. She just moved here today, and I invited her to stay for dinner. Bella, this is my mom, Kathryn Weber."

"Hello, Bella. Please call me Kathy. We heard Chief Swan's daughter was coming to stay with him. Welcome to Forks. Dinner should be ready soon. Why don't you show Bella around, Angela?"

"Sure mom thanks." Angela told her and gave her a little hug. I nodded my thanks and followed Angela into the family room.

The family room was a large square room a couple of steps down from the rest of the house, and it looked like it had been added on to the original building. There was a Franklin stove fireplace burning against one wall and a sliding glass door with curtains that led out to the back yard. The floor was carpeted in dark green and brown shag with random hints of orange and yellow and red. There was a dark upholstered couch in the middle of the room facing the TV and a love seat at right angle to the couch with a square table in the corner.

Two young boys that looked like twins, around seven or eight years old, were in the middle of the floor in front of the TV playing a video game. There was a man who I assumed was Angela's father was seated at a desk in the corner working on a writing project. There were several open books scattered on the desk in front of him. He'd intently read through a passage, and then return to the page in front of him and write on the sheet with the pen in his hand.

"Dad?" Angela said, waiting for her father to look up and acknowledge her presence. After a minute he looked up and smiled at her. "I'd like you to meet Bella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter. She just moved in down the street today, and I invited her to stay for dinner. Bella, this is my father, Jonathan Weber."

Mr. Weber stood up from his desk, and I saw where Angela got her height. He was very tall but handsomely filled out for an older man. He wore eyeglasses like Angela. His hair was a light brown but starting to show gray at his temples. He stepped around the desk and held out his hand to greet me.

"Hello, Bella. Welcome to Forks. We heard Chief Swan's daughter was coming to stay with him. I've talked to Charlie about you, he seemed concerned about your future, but he didn't share any of your secrets with me. Will you be joining us for church on Sunday, as well?" I shook his hand, but then stepped back to stand beside Angela.

"Thank you for the offer… I went to some churches with my mother in Phoenix the couple of times she tried it, but I've never really been what you'd call religious…"

"You don't have to find religion to find answers, child. If you ever feel the need to talk or need help we're here for you. Maybe Angela would return to us too if she had a friend to come to church with…"

"Ok, Dad. We've had the discussion about choices before. You know my choice, and Bella deserves to make her own choices as well."

Mr. Weber sighed and looked sadly at Angela and nodded. "I still pray for you Angela. You can come back to us whenever you're ready to…"

"I pray for you too, Dad… I just follow a different path, you understand." Mr. Weber winced at the mention of her praying for him, but he nodded and turned back to me.

"You're always welcome here, Bella, if you ever need anything," and then he returned to his writing.

Angela led me over to the couch and we sat down.

"The two sprouts here are Michael and Gabriel. They're Identical twins and they just turned seven."

The two boys were engrossed in their video game and hardly acknowledged our presence. We'd only been sitting for a minute when Mrs. Weber announced that dinner was ready and ordered the boys to go wash up to eat. We waited until they were done and Angela showed me to the bathroom and we both washed our hands too, to set a good example.

Family dinner with the Weber's was fun. They asked me about Phoenix and what I'd done in school. I was mostly truthful, recounting stories from my earlier pre-rebellion school career. They told me about forks and some embarrassing stories about Angela that made her blush and we all laughed at. It would have been more embarrassing if it had hurt Angela, but she laughed along with them and supplied details that had everyone laughing.

Angela and I helped her mother clear away the dishes, but she shooed us out of the kitchen so she could start the dishes and load the dishwasher. Angela told her we'd be in her room, and then led me down the hallway to her bedroom.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Angela's room. I was pretty sure it wouldn't be boy band posters and stacks of Tigerbeat magazine. I was kind of surprised at how normal the room looked for the most part. It looked kind of like my room, although it was painted pale lavender instead of bright blue. Then I started to notice some of the details.

I felt a tingling sensation dance across my scalp and flash down my spine as I walked through the door. It didn't make me feel wary like I had when I was standing by the gate this afternoon, but gave me a sense of peace. There were a number of crystals hung from cords in the room. In front of the window, by the door and the bed, another couple by the desk and dresser. It looked like they moved of there own accord as I stepped through the door, like they'd been blown by a breeze, but there was no wind when Angela opened the door and we walked into the room.

A medium sized gray cat uncurled itself off of the foot of Angela's double bed and jumped down onto the floor. It crossed the room in a bound and jumped up into Angela's arms. I was startled when the cat jumped and I tripped on the edge of the large round rug in the center of the room. I stumbled when I tripped and kicked back the edge of the rug. There was a pattern painted on the hardwood floor under the rug. I couldn't tell what the whole pattern was, but there were straight lines coming to a point inside of what was most likely a circle. There were strange symbols painted in the pattern and words in a language I'd never seen.

I apologized and smoothed out the rug. Angela didn't seem concerned that I'd revealed part of what was painted on the floor under the rug. She seemed more curious about my reaction to what I'd seen than worried that I'd seen it. She walked over and curled up on her bed with the cat, and invited me to have a seat. I sat down on her bed and we chatted as I looked around her room.

It looked like there was some kind of display or maybe a place of honor setup on top of her dresser. It was a low three drawer dresser that came up to your waist and left the top free at table height. There was a white cloth on the top of the dresser. it was a narrow band of cloth that didn't cover the entire top from front to back, but hung down on the ends like a table runner and gave it the look of an altar. There was what looked like a wooden book stand or small lectern with a thick heavy looking volume lying on it in the center of the top. It was covered with a bright cloth embroidered with the sun and the moon and other symbols that I didn't recognize. There was an incense burner, a delicate looking intricate ceramic chalice, and a double edged dagger arranged on top of the dresser around the book under the cloth.

Angela excused herself after a while to go to the restroom, and left me petting her cat. I got up after a minute and walked around the room being nosy. Angela hadn't seemed to mind me gawking around the room staring at her things. I walked over to her desk and looked at some of the titles of the books on the shelf behind her computer:

Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual (Beyond 101)

Blood Magick

The Sorcerer's Secrets: Strategies in Practical Magick

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)

Witchcraft: Theory and Practice

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)

The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells and Rituals (Penczak Temple Series)

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development (Penczak Temple Series)

Not exactly light reading for bedtime. Some of the titles scared me and made me wonder about my new friend. It made me think about a lot of the strange things I'd experienced today. Maybe it would explain Ben's strange reaction to me. Now this was really weird, but maybe Angela could help me figure out what had happened when I was with James. I'd have to know her a lot better before I could talk to her about that, but I wanted to know what had happened. Why I had let him do the things he had done. How I had finally been able to stop him…

I jumped when Angela walked back into the room and spun around embarrassed that I'd been snooping.

"You can borrow any to those if you like. Was there something in particular that you found interesting? Most of my friends have read all of those. We like to discuss what they have right and what they got wrong for fun sometimes." Angela was smiling at me and patted the bed next to where she was curled up with her cat.

I walked back over to her and sat down on the end of the bed again. I had to ask the question… So many weird things had happened in the last week. So many weird things this afternoon…

"Angela…, Are you a witch?"

**Author's Note:**

The following books are actual titles that are available on Amazon(dot)com, and all right's are reserved to the appropriate authors. They are only mentioned here by title for reference:

Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual (Beyond 101)

Blood Magick

The Sorcerer's Secrets: Strategies in Practical Magick

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)

Witchcraft: Theory and Practice

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)

The Outer Temple of Witchcraft: Circles, Spells and Rituals (Penczak Temple Series)

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic Development (Penczak Temple Series)


	3. Chapter 3 New Girl

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 3 New Girl

"_Angela…, Are you a witch?"_

Angela laughed and smiled at me. "No, Bella, I don't consider myself to be a witch."

"You don't 'consider' yourself to be a witch?"

"Well I dabble in a little mysticism, and my friends and I study some aspects of practical magick. I study many traditions including witchcraft, but most people that call themselves witches practice Wicca, which is more of a religion and way of life. I have a broader philosophy."

"You don't worship… the Devil… or anything like that? Do you?"

"No… What makes you think there's only one? There are forces of darkness in the universe and forces of light. There are those that embrace the darkness and those like us who embrace and champion the light. There are some that choose a path closer to the middle of the road. I'd like to think of myself as a force for good, but everyone makes their own choices."

"So you're a good witch?" For some reason, I had this image of Glenda from the Wizard of Oz stuck in my head. I wondered if I stood up and clicked my heels together three times if I'd end up back in Phoenix. It probably wouldn't work. I was wearing those damn waterproof boots instead of my ruby slippers.

"Yeah, something like that." Angela said with a chuckle.

"You have other friends that are into this magic thing too?"

"Ben and some girlfriends from school… We get together and teach each other things. It's a real interesting hobby. I have to admit, I got them all started, though. My grandfather taught me a lot of things, and now I guess I teach my friends."

"So your grandfather was a witch too?" It was a little harder picturing that. I kept getting this image of Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings movies stuck in my head, but I wanted to keep an open mind.

Angela laughed again, and shook her head. "Gramps would have liked you Bella." She reached over and picked up a picture in a frame off of her nightstand and handed it to me. The man in the picture looked normal enough. He looked a lot like Angela's father, but with snowy white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard. Kind of stately and dignified in his black suit with a serious look, but a smile teased at his lips as he stood with his arm around Angela's shoulder. She looked about eight years old in the photograph.

"Gramps was supposed to teach my dad. He wanted to share everything he'd learned in his life with my father. He said that was the way it was supposed to work, knowledge passed on from one generation to the next… I love my father, Bella, but he closed his mind and turned his back on Gramps. He settled for what he was willing to believe in. I don't mind really. He still does good in his own limited way. Gramps decided he had to skip a generation when my dad rejected him and turned to religion instead. So he started teaching me."

"Your grandfather isn't with us anymore is he…?"

"No, Gramps passed on from this world about five years ago. I was twelve when he left us. Now it's my duty to carry on the tradition."

I handed Angela back her picture, and we sat and talked for a while longer. We exchanged cell phone numbers, and agreed to hang out some more the next day on Saturday. I knew I was going to be busy for a good part of the day. I wanted to talk to Mrs. Newton about the job at the sporting goods store, and I needed to take Charlie shopping to buy some groceries so there was real food to eat in the house.

I told Angela I'd call her tomorrow, but it was getting late and I had to get home. It was Friday night, and I guess that fell under the weekend curfew rule, but it had been a long day. I was tired and wanted to get some sleep. She asked me if I wanted her to drive me home, but Charlie's house was only about five houses down the street on the next block. I could walk that far before she could get her car out.

Angela walked me to the door, and surprised me when she pulled me into a hug and I said goodnight. She walked me down to the sidewalk, and opened the gate for me. I didn't look back until I got to Charlie's driveway, but she was still standing there watching me walk home, standing by her gate until I'd disappeared into the jungle in Charlie's front yard.

The lights were on and Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway when I got home so I walked up on the porch and tried the door. It was unlocked and I walked into the house. I knew this was home on an intellectual level, but it hadn't really sunk in on an emotional level yet, and I felt an irrational urge to knock on the door or announce myself so the people who lived here would know I was back. Charlie was sitting in his easy boy recliner watching ESPN when I walked in, and I felt a sense of relief.

"Hey, Charlie," I said as I walked into the house. "Get all your paperwork filed?"

"Hi, Bells, Yeah," Charlie said as he leaned forward and sat up from the reclined position. "There's always a ton of paperwork in these cases. So how was your day?"

"Well, besides being uprooted from my home, flying a thousand miles away, moving into a new place where I'll be going to a new school and being handed off by my parents so you can take your shot at trying to keep me from ruining my life, it went pretty good."

I shrugged out of my coat as I spoke and hung it up in the closet, and then went and sat on the end of the couch across from his chair.

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?"

"Sorry, dad, its how I deal…"

"But you made some new friends today?"

"Yeah, Angela and Ben are great. Ben has a pretty cool car."

"Yeah, I told you they were good kids. Ben didn't do any of that crazy stunt driving with you in the car, did he?"

"No, he just drove us back to Angela's house. I got to see a little of what he can do after he dropped us off, but you didn't hear it from me!

"Yeah, well tell him to watch it. If I catch him pulling any of those stunts in town, I'm writing him up. We let those kids show off out at the old State Airport, but town is off limits!"

"Angela mentioned something about that. Who is this Dr. Cullen, and why would he be interested in stunt driving competitions?"

"I don't know that Dr. Cullen is interested in stunt driving or racing, but he has five kids that are all involved in it. I guess he talked the city council into letting them use the old State Airport to keep his kids out of trouble. The State and County turned management of the Airport over to the City of Forks, but we didn't have the money to renovate it, and there wasn't really much traffic that used it. Dr. Cullen agreed to pay to renovate the Airport, as long as they could use it for racing and stunt driving when there are no flights scheduled, and he pays the insurance. The city council said ok, so now they race out there on the weekends. A lot of people go out there to practice and hang out during the week too."

"Huh, that was nice of him. So, do any of these Cullen kids go to Forks High school, or are they older?"

"Dr. Cullen is a great man, and a talented surgeon. We're lucky to have him in Forks. It was really a stroke of luck that his wife hated big cities, and wanted to raise her family in a small town. The kids all go to the high school. Two of them are in your grade, and the other three are seniors."

"How are two of them juniors and the other three are all seniors if they're all in the same family? Shouldn't they be more spread out? Are they twins or something?"

"No, they're all adopted. Well, I think two of the older kids are Mrs. Cullen's niece and nephew. They had already adopted the other three when her sister was killed in an automobile accident and they came to live with them. She was the only family they had left."

Huh, five kids all adopted or foster kids. That was a big family these days. Good thing their father was a doctor, and loaded from the sound of it. It would be expensive to raise that many kids. I know Renee had struggled, and she only had me to worry about.

"Are they nice kids like Angela too?"

"I don't know… I don't think so… I've met them a handful of times, but I've heard stories about them around town. They haven't gotten into any serious trouble or anything, but they always seem to turn up whenever there is trouble. I've had late night calls from a lot of the parents in town about their dating habits. No charges were ever pressed, mostly just curfew violations and irate parents looking for their kids. Turns out it was one of the Cullen kids that reported those remains that we were investigating today, too. They go hiking all the time, and they know the forest around here like the back of their hand. They always volunteer to help on searches and investigations in the forest."

"Sounds like they like to help out and they're a useful resource for the department."

"Yeah, maybe… Bella, I don't want you messin' around with them. They keep to themselves pretty much, but they have a reputation, and I think it's deserved. You should stay away from them."

"I think we already had this discussion on the ride home from the airport. You get to meet who I go out with so you know who I'm with, but you don't get a veto. I choose who I'll spend time with or not."

"Yeah, we agreed to that, and I'll stand by it. Just be careful, Bella… The Cullen's were raised… different from the kids around here… They have different… values."

"Yeah, well I was raised different from the kids around here too. Keep an open mind, Charlie. Besides, I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I don't need unnecessary complications in my life right now."

"Ok. I'll accept that… for now, but be careful."

"Now, about the refrigerator… Why are there worms in the refrigerator where we keep the food that we eat?"

"Yeah, I thought you might see that as a problem…" Charlie said a little sheepishly.

"You were right! Are you going to remove them so I can sanitize the fridge? Or do you want to move that refrigerator out of the kitchen and buy a new one?

"Those are my choices?" Charlie said with a grin on his face.

"Those are your choices."

"Fine, I'll put them in the 'fridge in the garage."

"You have another 'fridge in the garage…! And you keep worms in the kitchen!"

"Hey… Calm down. I said I'd move them. It was just easier that way. I didn't have to make a special trip out to the garage in the morning when I go fishing. I keep the leeches in the garage."

"Leeches… Fine, I'd like them gone tomorrow. Before we go grocery shopping."

"Ok… So you got to meet Angela's parents too?" Charlie asked to change the subject.

"Yeah, the Weber's were great… Angela's dad said that you'd talked to him about me?"

"Yeah… Don't worry, I didn't tell him about anything that was going on. I just told him you and your mom were going through a tough time and you were angry with her… I asked him for advice Bella. He's a good man, and he's always been there for his family…"

"Hey, dad… You did the right thing. I know about grandma and grandpa Swan. Renee shouldn't have made you make a choice. It was wrong of her… I know you couldn't be there all the time."

"I know Bells… But I'd made promises to your mother. I told her I'd leave with her and she wouldn't get stuck here. Then my parent's got sick, and I couldn't leave… I wasn't going to abandon them and put them in a home… By the time I was free to leave again, I was Chief of Police and Renee had built a life without me…"

"They were your family… You couldn't just walk out on them. That wouldn't have been right."

"You're my family too, Bella, and I should have been there for you too. I should have left Forks when I could and been closer to you while you were growing up…"

"Dad, that wouldn't have worked… Renee would have just kept running… She didn't want to be within a thousand miles of you in the early days… It hurt her too… I think she was afraid that she'd come running back if she didn't keep her distance. We never would have had one of those easy relationships where we swapped houses every other weekend and got together for birthday parties and school plays. Renee would have run, you would have followed, and we'd all be constantly starting over. You built a life, and so did we. Just not together."

"Well I'm glad I've got you back now, Bells. I should have been more of a father to you. I'm not saying I can make up for lost time, but maybe we can go on from here."

"Yeah, a new start, we can go on from here… It's late dad, and it's been a busy day. I'm gonna go up to bed, G'night, dad." I got up off the couch, and started for the stairs. Charlie want to make a new start, but I'd be gone in nine months… I pushed the thought away.

"Night, Bells."

"And Charlie," I said, turning back to look over my shoulder at the foot of the steps. "Remember; don't take off to go fishing tomorrow. We're going grocery shopping, and then I want you to introduce me to Mrs. Newton so I can see about that job."

"Fine, Bells, no fish in the morning," He turned back to the TV grumbling under his breath, and I turned and went up the stairs to my room.

I looked at the empty suitcases sitting by the door and made a mental note to ask Charlie what I should do with them in the morning. I walked to the nightstand, and plugged my cell phone into the charger, and hung my purse on the doorknob of the closet. I kicked off my boots and left them by the closet. Then I went to the dresser and vanity and collected my pajamas and toiletries bag to get ready for bed.

I was mentally exhausted after the flight from Phoenix, the long drive with Charlie, unpacking, and meeting new people. I wanted to get a good night's sleep before I started making even more changes to my life tomorrow. I was mentally exhausted, but I was keyed up and tense from all the changes; the new rules, the new people, the new me. Maybe a shower would relax me enough to sleep tonight.

I walked down the short hall to the bathroom and took a quick shower and washed my hair. I stepped out of the shower and dried myself with a towel from the rack on the wall. I used the towel to squeeze most of the water from my long brown hair and pulled on a tank top and a comfortable pair of old worn sweatpants. I brushed my teeth, and then picked up my clothes and stuffed them into the collapsible net hamper in the bathroom, and walked to my room. I set the toiletries bag on the vanity, and sat down on the bench absently looking into the mirror as I took my brush from the bag and started to brush the tangles out of my hair.

This wasn't working… I was still tense, and my nerves were wound so tight… I fingered the tube of lip gloss lying on top of the vanity. It was smooth and hard with it's little round plastic top… There were other ways to relax, and I blushed thinking about them as I picked up the lip gloss and stood up to turn out the lights.

I set the tube on my nightstand and slid between the sheets into bed. No time like the present to christen the new bed, and make this place feel like home… I reached under my tank top and stroked my breasts to start getting myself in the mood. I ran my hands across my nipples and they started to perk up.

I really didn't want to think about James, but it was the most real experience I had. I'd watched porn with Mandy and Rachel before, and Renee had some books and tapes that she'd shared with me, but I remembered the feel of James hands on my breasts, and that's what I was thinking about as I started to pinch and twist my nipples.

I wanted to moan and grunt as I worked my breasts and pinched my nipples… Making noise and being vocal always made me feel horny and got me going, but Charlie was still downstairs, and I didn't want to freak him out. My door didn't have a lock on it, and I'd just die if he came in to check on me and see if I was ok.

I was starting to feel pretty good right now, and I caressed down my body, running my hand over my flat stomach. I slid my hand into my sweatpants and started to rub myself between my legs. I stayed on the outside, rubbing and pressing, and let the warmth build. I felt the moisture starting to lubricate my labia as the delicious coil in my stomach wound tighter.

I slid my sweatpants down off of my hips, and then kicked them off, leaving them bunched between the sheets at my feet. I reached back between my legs, dipping my fingers into the heat and moisture and started rubbing again.

I caressed through my folds, spreading the wetness, and exploring my sex. I gasped as I ran my finger tip around my vagina and slipped the tip of my finger inside. I hadn't touched my clit yet, but I could feel the pressure building.

I reached for the tube of lip gloss and opened the drawer in my nightstand and grabbed Bob while I continued to rub and touch myself.

Renee had gotten me Bob the vibrator, thinking I'd experiment with penetration so I'd be ready when I found a boyfriend, but It was uncomfortable and had hurt the one time I'd tried it. I'd never had anything bigger than my finger inside me. I took the tube of lip gloss and started to rub the smooth round cap between my legs, stroking it through my sex and getting it slippery with my wetness.

I circled my opening with the hard round wet plastic cap of the tube and then started to press the smooth plastic inside of me. I tried to stifle a soft moan as I slowly eased the tube into my vagina. The narrow tube was about the size of my finger. I was still a virgin, and it gave me a delicious sense of fullness to have something inside me. I knew I reacted better when there was something hard inside of me for my vagina to grip and squeeze onto.

I put my middle finger where the bone was right after my vagina starts and found my clit starting to poke out of the hood. I started thinking about James when he had pushed his finger into me and I started to move my finger left and right, first slow and then faster, teasing my clit.

I was still holding the tube of lip gloss and was slowly fucking it into my vagina, pushing it in and pulling out. I started to increase my speed as I felt my self getting closer to cumming. I felt hot and horny and my pussy was dripping wet as I stroked my clit with my fingers.

I was panting softly trying to be quiet, but I moaned and gasped involuntarily as my fingers worked on my clit. I was trying not to picture James's face, but I moaned louder as I remembered his weight on me pressing my body into the backseat of the car. I remembered the desire I'd felt as his hands had moved on my breasts, between my legs, what his tongue had felt like in my mouth.

I reached beside me where Bob was lying pressed against my side. He was nice and warm now from lying under the covers with me pressed into my side. I stopped for a second to get Bob turned on then I moved him between my legs and started teasing and tickling my clit with the tip of the vibrator.

I move the tube of lip gloss up and down and in and out as wonderful explosive sensations deep in my pussy rocked through me. The tube of lip gloss was in my left hand moving faster and faster as my need built. The vibrator was in my right purring against the most sensitive part of my sex. Bob was moving left and right and tracing slow circles, first slow and then faster, teasing my clit as I got closer and closer to my climax.

It felt amazing! I was bucking my hips to meet my thrusts and moaned louder. I began thrusting more urgently into my pussy as I fell into the throes of my ecstasy. I bucked and moaned and clutched the vibrator hard against my clit as I pressed my legs tight together, and I felt my orgasm building to its climax.

I was on the edge of the precipice and I felt like screaming, but I bit my bottom lip and turned my face into the pillow to muffle my groans. My core contracted around the tube of lip gloss and I squeezed it with my legs as every muscle in my body contracted. I felt my toes curl and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge into the throes of my orgasm.

I was panting hard and I forced myself to take deep breaths to try and calm down as the heavenly bliss spread through me. I felt like I had been doing this for hours, but it really had only been a short time. I wanted to keep doing this for hours…

There was a creak in the hallway, and a footstep outside my door. I panicked! Was I covered? Ok… I flopped on my side facing away from the door as I panted into the pillow and tried to control my breathing. The door cracked open…

"Bella, are you alright? Are you crying, baby?"

"No, dad…" I stammered out, mortified that he had almost caught me… "I'm fine…" My voice was still husky with passion… Please, please, please just go away…

"Ok, Bells… This will work out, you'll see. Get some sleep," and thankfully the door shut.

I so needed to get a lock for my door. I'd never needed to lock my door in Phoenix, but then Renee would have known what I was doing, and would have stayed out. It was really going to take some time to get used to living with my dad.

I needed something better to think about while I was touching myself too. I really didn't want a boyfriend, but thinking about the guy that had almost raped me was sick. I needed some healthy experiences to cancel out those memories, but I definitely wasn't into casual sex. Sex was part of a healthy relationship, but I needed a boyfriend to have a relationship. I didn't have to go all the way to have some nice memories to think about, though. Maybe I would date if there were some nice guys here. Maybe somebody nice or cute, I could try some things out without getting serious about some guy. I wondered about the possibilities as I drifted off to sleep.

I was up early the next morning. I made up my bed and washed off the lip gloss tube and returned it to my vanity. I just threw on a clean pair of sweat pants, a sweat shirt and some flat sandals I'd probably never get to wear outside again here. Charlie was sitting drinking his coffee, and gave me an odd look, but I found where he kept the cleaning supplies. The container of worms was gone, and I attacked the refrigerator with a bucket of hot soapy water and a jug of bleach. I scrubbed every inch and left it spotless and squeaky clean inside and out before I dumped out the bucket of now grimy suds and gray water.

I went back upstairs and took a shower and brushed my teeth.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Silly Jill forgot her pill and now she's got a daughter. I wasn't going to be silly Jill. That wasn't going to happen to me and I didn't forget my pill.

I went back to my room and got dressed to meet the day. I felt better about the prospect of grocery shopping now that I knew that there wouldn't be escaped worms crawling across anything that we bought. I put on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt with a short sleeved t-shirt layered over it, and my sneakers.

I sat down in front of the vanity mirror and looked at the uneven splotches on my face. At least I didn't have dark circles under my eyes, thanks to last night's relaxation exercises. I brushed out my hair to get the tangles out but let it hang down loose and straight today. I covered my face in a light powder cover-up. I was still pale, but at least it looked like an even consistent pale now. I held a dark gray eye liner in my hand and quickly swiped it over both lids. I applied Mascara, and then some lip stick. I didn't bother with a lip liner pencil but applied a touch of lip gloss to give my lips a bit of shine.

I smiled thinking about the last time I'd had this lip gloss in my hand last night for a very different use... I grabbed my purse and stashed the lip stick and lip gloss so I could re-apply later, tossed my cell phone inside, and went down to the kitchen.

I grabbed a cup of coffee with sugar and a little of the non-dairy instant creamer, and sat at the table with Charlie. It still wasn't even close to nine o'clock in the morning yet, and Charlie set down his paper to look at me.

"Busy morning, huh kid? So is the fridge safe enough to store food for human consumption now? I suppose I could have the county health inspector come out and run some tests…"

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm there?" I smiled at Charlie, repeating his crack from last night.

"Sorry, it's how I deal…"

"It should be safe enough now… So what's the plan? This is your town, Chief, what do you want to do first?"

"Well, this isn't Phoenix, and it's early on a Saturday morning. The Thriftway should be opening soon, but we should probably go talk to Karen Newton first before we have a load of groceries sitting in the car. Newton's Outfitters doesn't open until ten on Saturday. There isn't much to eat in the house right now. What do you say to some breakfast? We can drive over to the Coffee Shop and grab a bite to eat, and then go talk to Karen when they open up this morning."

"Breakfast sounds cool."

Charlie nodded and we got up to leave. I grabbed my shopping list and we went out to the cruiser to drive to the Forks Coffee Shop. Saturday morning breakfast must have been one of the little cafes busy meal times for the breakfast rush. The place was crowded, and the parking lot was pretty full. Charlie pulled into an empty spot close to the door, and I was surprised that nobody had parked there.

We walked inside, and there were a few people waiting. They all greeted Charlie like old friends, and I endured a round of introductions as the hostess came back up to the front. I was surprised when she seated us immediately, despite the fact that there were other customers waiting who had been there before us. Everyone just smiled and there weren't any grumbles, as though they expected Charlie to receive special treatment as a matter of course.

Breakfast was good. The pancakes were just as huge as I remembered from the last time I'd been here ten years ago. I didn't finish half of the stack, and nibbled at the fresh fruit bowl on the side. The pineapple and grapes were good, but the melon was under ripe and hard and tasteless. Charlie was plowing through his steak and eggs. He added Tabasco sauce to the eggs and spicy steak sauce to the steak, and ketchup to his hash browns. He was quiet as he methodically stoked food into his mouth, only pausing to drink his coffee or turn the page of the newspaper.

I excused myself to go to the ladies room when I was done with breakfast. I washed my hands to get the traces of syrup off of them, and fixed my lipstick and lip gloss in the mirror. I walked out of the restroom, and glanced at the clock over the cash register as I walked back to our booth. It was only about nine thirty, and we still had plenty of time to kill before we could go talk to the lady at the sporting goods store about my job. I didn't want to come off as too eager, but I supposed it would be good to appear prompt and ready to work.

Charlie was done with breakfast now too, but he was engrossed in conversation with a group of men about his age. I could hear him telling a story that involved fish and a hike through the woods and they were laughing at some anecdote… I so didn't want to be a part of this conversation… I waited for lull and then made my move.

"Dad, I'm gonna step outside for minute and get some air…"

"I'm through, Bells, if you're ready to go…?"

"No, dad, finish your coffee. We have plenty of time, it's still early." He nodded, and I made my escape before he tried to introduce me to more of his fishing buddies.

I smiled and waved at the hostess as I grabbed my coat off the rack by the door and walked out of the café. She looked back at Charlie swapping stories with his buddies and gave me a knowing smile as I made my escape out the front door.

It wasn't raining this morning, which was saying a lot for Forks. The sky was a steel gray overcast, and it was about forty degrees out, definitely a drastic change from ninety degrees and sunny all the time Phoenix. I fished a cigarette out of my purse and lit it as I walked over to the newspaper vending machines to look at the headlines while I smoked my cigarette. Apparently the world continued to turn and lives went on despite the sudden changes in my life.

I wasn't really paying attention when the car pulled to a stop by the curb and parked. I think it was the whine of the turbochargers spinning down like a jet engine winding down at the airport that caught my attention. It may have been the tingling sensation in my scalp and the chill that ran down my spine, but regardless I looked over at the shiny yellow sports car. I recognized that it was a Porsche, and glanced at the twin turbo logo on the side of the engine compartment at the back. The doors opened and two extraordinarily beautiful people stepped out. My heart stopped for a second as I stared. Then it took off a mile a minute as I quickly turned away to stare at the newspapers. I took a long drag off my cigarette to try and calm my nerves, and glanced back at the couple through the curtain of my hair.

The driver was a petite girl with short spiky black hair, pale white skin, and… bright ochre eyes? To be honest, they were probably closer to golden butterscotch, but I'd only seen eyes like that one time before. James had eyes like that and I felt a chill run through me as I looked at her eyes.

The girl looked like she was about seventeen or eighteen years old but she was a tiny little thing and was still shorter than me even with her four inch stilettos. At first glance she appeared to dress like the rest of the kids I'd seen in Forks. On closer inspection even I could tell that her clothes were expensive. She was wearing French designer jeans and stiletto heeled pumps. Her top looked like a lacy white blouse with the top three buttons undone, and she had a black satin vest on over it. The bottom wasn't tucked in, but draped around her waist. The long full sleeves had no cuff, and were slashed to the elbow and hanging loose, giving them an almost medieval look. Around her neck, she wore a lacy ribbon choker with an oval cameo medallion at the front of her throat. The medallion had some kind of symbol on it that looked like a family crest. She wasn't wearing her purple leather jacket, but held it casually draped over her shoulder, despite the forty degree weather.

A young man with blond hair had gotten out of the passenger seat of the Porsche. He looked too old to be in high school. Maybe he was home from college, visiting for the holidays. If I had to guess, I'd say he was nineteen or twenty, maybe older. His eyes were a deeper red orange ochre color that looked darker than the girls and a lot more like James's eye color than I cared to remember.

He was six foot three and muscular but lean with golden honey blond hair. He was wearing stonewashed gray boot cut jeans over shiny black cavalry style boots, a gray button down shirt under a sweater and a medium length dark gray leather coat.

He smiled at the petite little black haired girl as she danced around the front of the car, and took his hand as they walked up to the newspaper vending machines.

"I still don't see why you can't just have the paper delivered to the house, Alice." The blond haired young man said. He spoke with a southern drawl, and I knew he hadn't lived in Forks all of his life.

"It just doesn't work the same that way, Jazz." The petite little black haired girl said in a musical sounding soprano. "They mail them if you subscribe, and we'd still have to drive into town to pick up the paper from the post office. Besides, this way you get to take me out to breakfast."

What kind of name was Jazz? I saw him roll his eyes at the mention of breakfast, and a look of chagrined disgust flashed across his face for a second, but he smiled at the little black haired girl.

"I ate last night," he said. "If you must have this kind of breakfast, Esme is a much better cook, but I suppose I can join you for coffee."

They were standing beside me now, and the little black haired girl opened her designer purse and fed coins into the machine. I glanced at her selection, and was a little surprised when I realized she was reaching for a copy of 'The Wall Street Journal'. She froze as she leaned into the vending machine and her hand touched the papers. She stood perfectly still for too long. Was she having some kind of seizure? A look of concern flashed across the blond mans face and he was reaching for her to help her, when suddenly the moment passed. She took a paper from the middle of the stack and stood up.

She turned and really looked at me for the first time with an appraising look on her face. She studied me for several seconds, and first shock, and then the same awestruck bewildered expression that Ben had worn yesterday when he met me passed across her face. She was much better at schooling her features than Ben had been, and the awestruck expression was quickly replaced with normal curiosity. She handed the paper to the blond haired young man.

"Why don't you go see about getting us a table, Jazz. I'll catch up in a minute."

"Are you sure, Alice? Are you all right?" He asked with concern.

"I'll be alright, now go on…" and she shooed him toward the door. He walked into the restaurant, but glanced back to be sure she was really ok.

"I don't think I've seen you here in town before," she said addressing me now. "Are you passing through, or maybe visiting for the Holidays?"

She was reaching into her purse as she spoke and took out a gold cigarette case. She popped it open and there were both commercial factory made cigarettes on one side, and smaller professional looking hand rolled cigarettes on the other. She selected one of the regular looking cigarettes, closed the case, and put it back into her purse. She took out what looked like a custom designer lighter and lit it.

"No such luck, I just moved here yesterday. I came to live with my father. Charlie Swan?"

"So then you're the Police Chief's daughter. We heard you were moving here, you must be Isabella… I was expecting a much younger girl from the way he talks about you."

"Please, just Bella. Yeah, I've been getting the same impression that he sees me as his little girl most of the time."

She held out her hand… "Well, welcome to Forks, Bella, I'm Alice Cullen, I'm sure we'll be the best of friends in no time."

So Alice was one of the Cullen kids that Charlie had warned me about. She didn't look too scary, except for the eyes… I took her hand and shook it and let it go. Her grip was firm and surprisingly strong despite her size. It was icy cold, but it was forty degrees out and she hadn't put on her coat when she got out of the car… My hand was probably ice cold too.

"Thanks', Alice, it's nice to meet you."

"So, then you'll be starting school next week, Bella? You're a junior, right?"

"Yeah, new school… I'm so not looking forward to that. Still a junior, last time I looked."

"It's not too bad. We all started here last year, so the kids here are used to seeing some new faces. After the first couple of weeks, you'll fit right in."

"I know… It's just harder in a small town where everyone already knows everyone else…"

"Well, luckily for you, the novelty hasn't completely worn off for us, either. We can all be new together."

"Thanks', Alice." I paused for a second, and then I just couldn't restrain my curiosity anymore. "Alice, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Bella, what's on your mind?"

"Are there many people that have eyes like yours? I knew a guy in Phoenix that had eyes that were the same shade of red orange ochre like your friend's, but I've never heard of anyone with golden butterscotch colored eyes?"

"You can… see… my eyes…?" She stuttered and seemed stunned, and then snapped out of it. "It's a genetic thing, very rare. Most people don't even notice… We try to down play it and don't mention it to try and avoid the attention it causes… We just try to fit in…"

I just nodded and let it go. It sounded like Alice was making up excuses, but then Charlie came out the front door and walked over to us.

"Hi, Bells," Charlie said as he walked up beside me. "Mornin', Alice, you keeping Jasper out of trouble this morning?"

"Yeah…" Alice seemed distracted. She was looking down and wouldn't meet our eyes. "I've got to go… It was nice to meet you, Bella…" and she hurried away and went into the café, stopping to crush out her cigarette in the ash tray next to the door, then hurrying inside.

I wondered what that was all about as I walked to the cruiser with Charlie. I dropped my cigarette in the parking lot and crushed it out with my toe before I got into the car. I saw Alice hurry over to the blond haired young man who was seated in a booth, and they held a hushed conference with they're heads together. Then they both turned to look at me sitting in the cruiser through the window of the coffee shop. They were still staring as Charlie pulled out of the parking lot.

"Charlie, have you ever noticed anything odd about Alice Cullen and that guy she was with?"

"You mean Jasper Hale? No, not really… besides what I told you last night… They do have a tendency to turn up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a lot of the parents in town are a little pissed off about them keeping their kids out all hours of the night when they… date… but that's about it."

"You haven't noticed anything strange about their eyes?"

"Well, Alice does have a rather piercing look with those bright blue eyes and that jet black hair, but I wouldn't say it stands out or was strange..."

"Blue…? Her eyes looked blue to you?" What the fuck? What the hell was going on here! I knew what I saw… Why would Charlie say her eyes were blue?

"Well, yeah… She was standing there right in front of us plain as day. Blue eyes, black hair, designer jeans and heels that were so high they looked dangerous. She really should have put her coat on, but I guess she wasn't planning on standing out there talking. Jasper's eyes are black, same as always. Why would you ask about that?"

Ok, weirdness. Why did I have to suddenly have total fucking weirdness in my life? Had I gone insane, and I was dreaming all of this? Was I really sitting in a little padded room somewhere, drooling in the corner, and my brain was just making this all up to protect me from accepting my true reality?

I pinched my arm and it hurt. I was probably awake even if I had gone insane. I touched the window of the cruiser and it felt smooth and cold to my touch. It all seemed pretty real. Screw it, this was my reality now, insane or not, and I was just going to have to deal with it. I didn't want Charlie to think I was losing it, so I just played it off and dropped it. I'd wait and get more facts before I talked to anyone else about this. I realized I'd never talked to anyone about James's eyes. I wondered what they'd looked like to Mandy and Rachel. I'd have to call them and ask…

"It's nothing dad, must have been the lighting. It's not important. Do you think Mrs. Newton is at the sporting goods store yet?"

We had only gone a couple of blocks south, and Charlie was pulling into the parking lot of a medium size shopping center. Well. Medium sized anywhere else. It was probably huge for forks… I saw the sign for the Thriftway grocery store. Newton's Outfitters shared the parking lot and occupied one end of the building while the grocery store was at the opposite end of the complex. There was a bakery and deli section in the middle along with the drugstore and pharmacy departments.

"Yeah, she's there. That's her corvette parked out front. Looks like Mike is there too."

"Mike? Who's Mike?"

"Mike Newton, he's her son. He's a pretty good kid most of the time, I guess. He got into a little trouble last year with his car, but I cut him some slack and he's kept his nose clean ever since. That's the favor Karen owes me. He's about your age. He plays football for Forks, well basketball now… He should be in your class at school. He works here too."

Oh great. Now I was going to have to deal with some guy too, and probably a dumb jock at that. Well, I'd just have to make him understand that we had to keep the relationship professional if we were going to be working together. Hopefully we'd have opposing shifts, and he'd be working when I was off and vice versa… STOP! Wait one minute! That was Isabel talking again. Bella accepted her life and wasn't going to wallow in self-pity anymore!

Maybe this Mike Newton would be cute and a nice guy. Bella was just saying last night how we needed some new experiences to replace the scary, unhealthy experiences that she was fantasizing about. Bella didn't have to go all the way to have some nice new healthy experiences to think about instead of sick fantasies about... I wasn't going to think the name. Sex was part of a relationship, but we weren't looking for a relationship or a boyfriend. We could fool around a little with the guys we dated as long as they understood Bella's boundaries. Maybe this Mike Newton would be date worthy. Or not…, but we could at least meet him before we made up our mind.

Charlie pulled up in front of the sporting goods store, and parked next to Karen Newton's shiny red Corvette. There was another customized Japanese import that kind of made me think of Ben's car parked next to the Corvette. It didn't really look at all like the Toyota Corolla, but the race car look was the same, and I assumed it must be Mike's car. From the stickers plastered over the back windows and rear quarter panel I assumed it was a Nissan 350Z. It was painted silver with royal blue accents and racing stripes.

We got out of the car and started toward the door.

"Ok, kiddo, I'll introduce you to Karen. The rest is up to you, Ok?"

"Sure, dad, no problem, I've got this." Bella was confident, and she was a real find. Newton's would be lucky to hire her. At least that's what I kept telling myself to try and boost my confidence. Hopefully my palms would stop sweating, and my voice wouldn't crack.

Charlie opened the door and we walked in. The place looked empty, but it was just minutes after opening. There was nobody up front manning the registers, but there were the typical electronic anti-theft pillars standing guard on either side of the doorway. I followed Charlie toward the back of the store past displays of tents, sleeping bags, back packs and portable stoves and lanterns. There was a fairly extensive clothing section with hiking pants, shorts, t-shirts, button down plaids, and an assortment of parkas and winter coats. The shoe section had both hiking boots and a variety of more normal sports shoes and sneakers. There were a couple of people at the back counter by some glass cases against the wall filled with rifles and shotguns.

Seriously? You had to be kidding me. She ran a camping supply and sporting goods store? I assumed the woman was Karen Newton. She was a pretty thirty something, but the perfectly styled long blond hair and expensive salon nails seemed a little incongruous with the theme of the shop. The beige designer faux-wrap dress, stiletto heels, and pearls only added to my sense of disbelief that she could possibly be the owner of this store but Charlie walked right up to her. When we got closer, I noticed the gold accent pin above the left breast on her dress was the word 'manager' spelled out in little gold letters.

"Hi, Karen, I want to introduce you to my daughter, Bella Swan." Yeah, he was talking to the thirty something debutante in the stilettos and pearls. I hoped she didn't expect me to dress like that to work here.

"Hi Charlie, so this is your daughter…Bella. Well, I owe you, so I'll try her out and give her a shot. C'mon dear, let me get you an application, and then we can sit down and talk for a minute." Mrs. Newton stepped around the counter and reached under it to grab a sheet of paper. "Why don't you take a look around, Charlie? Mike, you should show the Chief the new shipment of fishing lures that came in last week."

I assumed the guy was 'Mike'. His name tag said so. Mike looked like he was my age, seventeen. I had to admit he was kind of cute in a puppy dog sort of way. He had a baby face, and looked like he was just shy of six feet tall, about five foot eleven. He had that look that girls usually found to be altogether good looking, with pale blue eyes and blond hair. At least he was dressed like he worked in a camping store, and I felt better about this. He was wearing jeans and hiking boots. He had on a long sleeved thermal shirt and a button down plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up past the elbows over it. He wore a red vest over the shirts and a plastic name tag with his name on it pinned to his left breast.

Mike didn't seem too interested in showing Charlie fishing lures. From the grin on his face, he was having too much fun checking me out. I could feel his eyes move on me as he looked me up and down. He was probably undressing me with his eyes as he ogled me. He seemed to approve of me coming to work here, especially if it meant he'd be able to spend some time with me. Isabel probably would have been uncomfortable with the attention, and would have wanted to get away from him or distract him to stop him from staring. Bella didn't mind so much, and felt a little thrill that a cute guy seemed to find her attractive.

Karen handed me the paper and it was a standard generic employment application. From her tone of voice she considered it a formality, and she probably just wanted it for her files so she had a record of my vital information like phone number, address, emergency contact, etc. I followed her through a doorway into the back of the store, and into an office. She indicated that I should sit down in a chair in front of the desk, and I took a pen out of my purse and started to fill out the application.

I filled it out as completely as possible, and handed it to her, where she was sitting behind the desk. She looked the application over and nodded a couple of times and then smiled at me.

"You have some retail experience? You worked in a book store?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, you're polite, save that for the customer's, call me Karen."

"Ok, Karen."

"You know how to run a cash register and make change?"

"Yes, math isn't my strongest subject, but I can make change, and my drawer was never short."

"Well, that's a plus. I probably would have hired you anyhow even if I didn't owe your dad a favor. When can you start?"

"As soon as you need me, I have no plans yet. I just got here yesterday."

"Well, we're expecting a slow day today. We're closed on Sundays and then we'll be closed Monday and Tuesday for New Years. How about we start you on Wednesday evening? Be here at four and you'll work until close at nine. I should have you added into the schedule by then so you can check when you work next. We'll get you all setup on Wednesday evening, and get you trained, ok? Do you have any questions?"

"My dad said the job pays minimum wage with twenty hours a week?"

"Yes, we'll try to get you your full twenty hours, but it depends on the schedule. If the store is slow, and we're caught up on stocking, we might send you home early sometimes. You can earn a bonus for making sales quota, but don't worry about that for now. This is our slow season. If things work out, you should be trained before things pickup."

"Alright, what will my typical duties include?"

"Well, everyone works the cash registers to ring up sales, but only the one you're logged in on. When deliveries come in, you'll help put them away, stock shelves and put up merchandise. Basic retail store chores, light cleaning, vacuuming the carpets, folding clothes from the dressing rooms and returning them to the sales floor, putting price tags on new stock, and maintaining inventory on the shelves and sales floor, nothing too difficult."

"Ok, I can handle all of that. I don't really know much about camping or sporting goods equipment if I had to try and sell it."

"Neither did I, dear, when I first started. Most of the stuff sells itself, and the guys that come in here all think they're experts, anyhow. David is the hiker and camper, and it had always been his dream to open a shop like this. He had the camping know how, and I had an MBA from Stanford. He told me what campers and hikers needed and wanted, and I figured out how to make a profit selling it. That's how we ended up in Forks of all places. I picked the town out of my research on where a good location for a shop like this would be, and here we are ten years later."

"So you haven't lived in Forks all your life either. I was born here, but my mom left and took me with her before I was a year old. This is the first time I've been back in ten years."

"Forks isn't so bad, once you get used to the wet. Now, let's go find your dad, and I'll see you on Wednesday night."

We walked back out into the store, and found Charlie and Mike in the fishing section, discussing the merits of the new shipment of fishing gear. Charlie was holding a red plastic basket with some little boxes and odds and ends in it.

"Well?" Charlie asked when he saw us coming down the aisle way.

"I start Wednesday night, afterschool."

"Congratulations, Bella." Charlie said.

"Cool, that's my shift," Mike said. "Maybe I'll be able to help train you."

"Maybe," Karen said, and smiled at Mike. "I should probably introduce you two. Bella, this is my son, Mike Newton. Mike, this is Bella Swan, the newest employee of Newton's Outfitters."

I shook hands with Mike, and then we went up front to the cash register. Mike rang up the purchase, and Charlie grinned when Karen told him to give us the fifteen percent employee discount. We said our goodbyes and left with Charlie proudly clutching his purchase in hand. I could feel Mike's eyes on me checking out my ass as we went out the door, and wondered how long it would take him to ask me out. He was cute enough, but I'd have to wait and see if he was nice, or not. It would suck having to work with him if he was a jerk.

We made the short drive down the parking lot to park closer to the grocery store. We got out of the cruiser and went inside. Charlie reached for one of the little baskets that you carry around, but I shook my head and got a shopping cart. I set my purse in the basket and got out my list. Charlie's eyes got big when he saw it, but he didn't say anything.

I turned to him and asked, "Do we have a limit?"

"No… get whatever we need. How many people are you planning to feed, Bella?"

"Just you and me, but this is planned for if we eat at home. Were you planning on going out to the Coffee Shop everyday for breakfast and dinner? I can cook. You don't have to eat out everyday, and you'll probably save some money eating at home…"

"Ok, we can give this a try… I told you, I didn't expect you to move in and take care of me…"

"It's ok, Charlie, this is what I did in Phoenix. I did the grocery shopping and most of the cooking. You know how Renee is in the kitchen. It was basic survival if I wanted edible food. I'm a good cook."

"Ok, we'll try it your way. Like I said, the place needs a woman's touch. It'll be nice having someone use the kitchen again for more than cleaning fish and snacks."

I nodded, and we started into the store. Shopping with Charlie was an experience. I wasn't sure it was an experience I'd care to repeat. I felt like I was in the grocery store with a eight year old, but I couldn't very well slap his hand, and tell him no when we were shopping on his dime and he was writing the check. I tried to avoid the junk food aisles as much as possible, but he still managed to find things that weren't on the list and toss them into the basket. He seemed to take the concept 'eat at home' to mean stock up on goodies. Did we really need a huge five quart container of chocolate ice cream, and three trays of assorted cookies? I'll admit, pop tarts were on the list, but there were some at home already. I had just been planning on getting the flavors I liked too, but now we had five more boxes.

I asked Charlie where he was planning on putting the ice cream, because the freezer was stuffed full of fish, but he said he'd move some to the freezer in the garage. That led me to question him about what he already had in the freezer, but it was just more fish. Well, I had more freezer space than I'd originally thought, so we went to the meat section and picked out some roasts and steaks. I already had hamburger, but more freezer space gave me more options, and there were some things on sale.

I managed to get everything we needed in one shopping cart, just barely with Charlie helping. I wanted to get him out of the store before he grabbed anything else. The girl that rang up our purchase looked like she was about my age. Her name tag said 'Haley', and she was polite and didn't stare too much. I smiled and thanked her as Charlie wrote out his check. I figured I'd see her in school on Wednesday. A big kid with 'Tyler' on his name tag bagged our groceries for us, and then pushed the basket out to the cruiser and loaded the bags into the trunk.

I could tell he was checking me out as he followed us out to the cruiser with our shopping cart. I kind of liked it, but I was honestly surprised at how much attention I was attracting from the boys in town. I'd gone on some dates in Phoenix, but I'd never gotten this kind of attention from guys before. I didn't think I was anything special, compared to the girls I'd seen around town. Haley was pretty, and probably better looking than me, in my opinion. It just seemed strange to me to have boys looking at me for once. It was something new, and I had to admit, I liked it.

We drove home and hauled the bags into the kitchen. Charlie started moving some of the fish to the freezer in the garage to make room, while I started putting the groceries away. I left things where Charlie already had them so he could find the things he was used to, but I was pretty much free to set up my own system for where to put everything else considering how bare the shelves were.

I threw together a quick lunch for us when we were done putting up the groceries, and then I went up to my room to do a little research on my new computer. It booted right up when I turned it on, and I didn't have any hassles getting online. Apparently the guy from the cable company knew his way around a computer. I went to Google and ran a search for eye color. I'd never heard of anyone with amber eyes before, but apparently there really were people in the world with butterscotch gold eyes.

It was rare, and it was genetic, but it didn't explain why Charlie thought Alice's eyes were blue or Jaspers eyes were black. I remembered about asking Mandy and Rachel about James's eyes, and I logged into MSN. Mandy was online so I started a chat with her. She was sorry about my mom sending me to live with my dad, and asked how I was doing. I told her I'd e-mail her all the details, and got down to business.

_What color were James's eyes?_

_His eyes were blue. Why are you asking about that creep?_

Mandy thought his eyes were blue.

I knew James's eyes had been red orange ocher just like Jasper's eyes. Alice's eyes had been golden butterscotch. She'd seemed embarrassed about it, and said she wanted to fit in. Maybe she wore colored contacts to hide her eye color, and had forgotten to put them in this morning. That was a logical explanation that I could accept. It didn't explain why Charlie thought her eyes were blue, but maybe he'd never actually seen her eyes today, and was just filling in the blanks from what he expected to see. I'd have to apologize to her the next time I saw her, and tell her I wouldn't say anything. I knew how hard it could be to fit in, and I wouldn't do anything to make it harder for her.

I'd told Angela that I'd hang out with her today when I was done with my errands, but I'd also told Charlie I'd be cooking dinner. Maybe Angela would like to come over to my house this afternoon, and then we could do something later after dinner. It was worth a try, so I got out my cell phone and gave her a call. She said she'd be over in a little while.

I went downstairs to the kitchen and put steaks in to marinate in the fridge, and wrapped some potatoes in foil to bake for dinner later. I was finishing up my prep work when there was a knock on the door, and I went to answer it. Angela was standing on the porch and I invited her in. I took her coat and hung it up, and then we went up to my room.

Angela was still dressed differently than I was used to seeing on a regular basis, but she wasn't quite so geeked out today. She was still wearing a skirt, but this one fell just below the knee instead of to her ankles. She was wearing a pullover sweater and tights with low heeled sensible looking shoes. The coat I'd hung up was a three quarter length wool trench coat with a belt and buttons.

It was dressier than I was used to for just hanging out with friends, but it looked good on her. I only owned a few skirts, and I only wore them for special occasions. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd worn a skirt or dress to school, let alone to visit a friend to hang out. I had to admit the possibility intrigued me, but I'd wait until I started school and see what the other kids wore first. Bella might be more confident and daring than Isabel, but she wasn't about to stand out from the crowd on day one when she was already going to be getting stared at all day. She had time before she had to worry about that.

Right now, I just wanted to get to know Angela, and I was really curious about her hobby. I was dealing with a lot of weirdness in my life lately, and having some degree of control over the weirdness sounded better than just reacting and letting the weirdness control my life. If Angela and her friends were studying this mystical stuff and learning about this practical magic thing then I wanted to know more.

We walked into my room and I toed off my shoes and sat down on my bed by the head board. Angela followed me over and sat down on the end of the bed. She kicked off her shoes and scooted back on the bed and got comfortable so we could talk.

"Ange, last night, you were telling me how you and some of your friends are into this magic thing as a hobby. You said that you get together and teach each other things. I'm really curious about how that works and what you can do. Would you be willing to teach me more about it?"


	4. Chapter 4 Theories

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 4 Theories

"_Ange, last night, you were telling me how you and some of your friends are into this magic thing as a hobby. You said that you get together and teach each other things. I'm really curious about how that works and what you can do. Would you be willing to teach me more about it?"_

"Sure, Bella, I had a feeling that you'd be interested. That's why I told you about it last night."

"So, you'd be willing to teach me what you know?"

"I'll try, but everyone is different. You have to be able to open your mind to possibilities, and ignore what most people think is impossible. You have to be able to accept that everything is possible if you want it to be. You have an exceptional potential, and I have a feeling that you'll be able to accept this."

"Suddenly these last weeks, I've been dealing with a lot of weirdness in my life, and I think I'm more willing to accept things that I might have said were impossible before. I've always thought I had a fairly open mind. So as long as this isn't too far out in left field, I think I can deal."

"Ok, well let me start off with a little theory, and then we can discuss that and go from there."

"Sounds good to me."

"The first thing that you need to understand is how our beliefs affect the world around us and you need to look at the universe from a different perspective. Most people assume that the world simply exists with set static physical laws and we react to it and learn about it. The great majority of people in the world don't realize that the opposite is true. The physical laws that create and govern the static universe are the result of the group consciousness and are based on the belief in those universal laws by the group consciousness. What we believe as a group and accept as fact creates our reality."

"So, you're saying the natural laws of the world exist the way they do because we all believe that's the way it's supposed to work?"

"Exactly, for example, gravity attracts objects to fall towards the ground, because of the commonly held belief that objects will fall and land on the floor. The earth rotates on its axis, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and a day is 24 hours long, because these are commonly held beliefs that the typical human being takes for granted."

"And if enough people thought differently, the world would change to reflect that belief?"

"Yes, but it's usually a very slow process. It's been accelerating rapidly in recent generations. In the distant past, the physical laws of the universe were different from what we accept as normal today because of different beliefs and commonly accepted facts. Much more of the mythical world once existed. The progression of science and the rationalization of the physical world continue to erode the existence of the mythical world and mythical creatures."

"Wait a minute, mythical creatures? What like dragons and unicorns? You're saying that stuff is real?"

"Some of it. Not nearly as much as once existed. Most of them look almost just like us and wouldn't stand out in a crowd if you saw them on the street. That's how they've survived, but we'll go into that later. For now, just keep an open mind and we'll discuss theories, ok?"

"Ok, but that's getting dangerously close to far out in left field, Angela."

"I know, but don't worry; we'll come back to that later. Just remember, open mind. Now, you were interested in magick. I don't mean the kind of stage magic that's used for simple stuff like card tricks and sleight of hand. Real magick is the ability to alter the rules of the physical universe."

"Another aspect of the universe is balance and opposing forces, light and dark, good and evil, order and chaos. Tipping the balance too far in favor of either is a bad thing, but again that's a matter of perspective."

"Just like you guessed changing the beliefs of large segments of the collective consciousness, in essence changing what people believe, can change the physical laws of the universe. This is one form of magick. Publishing a scientific paper about a discovery, and creating a method that allows the result to be duplicated moves the balance of the physical universe towards order. It works because people accept and believe the result, which shapes the collective consciousness and changes the rules to match what people now believe."

"So you're saying science and research are a form of magick, because by 'discovering things' and publishing the results, the scientist changes what people believe."

"Exactly, but it works the other way too. Unexplained events, such as evidence of UFOs, belief in the Loch Ness monster and things like Bigfoot sightings that go against accepted physical laws and scientific beliefs tip the balance back towards chaos, because people begin to doubt physical laws and science. This also shapes the collective consciousness by eroding blind acceptance in science."

"Ok, I get the basic theory, we create our own reality. You don't strike me as a research scientist, or someone hunting Bigfoot sightings. You said that you get together with your friends and teach each other things. Where does dabbling in practical magick fit into this?"

"Some individuals with training and the right knowledge are able to alter reality through the force of their will and create effects that locally suspend or change the physical laws of the universe. There are many paths to magick, but the underlying principle behind the ability to alter reality is the unquestioned belief that the event is possible and the ability to focus the will to cause that event to exist."

"So you're saying that if I believe in something hard enough, I can make it happen?"

"Yeah, sort of… That's the theory, but that kind of magick requires an unquestioning belief in your ability to actually manifest a physical change in your reality and requires a massive amount of will power. You have to literally believe in your bones that what you're attempting to do is not only possible, but that you have the ability to do it. That's where ritual comes in. It's the steps that you go through to make your mind and body believe that what you're doing will have the effect you're trying to create."

"Ritual? Like casting spells and magic circles with candles and chanting and stuff? You don't sacrifice goats or cats or stuff like that, do you?"

"No blood sacrifices. I told you, I embrace the light. What you would call good. We don't perform those rituals or practice that kind of magick that requires sacrifice, but some do. Those are usually rituals for dark magic. What you would call evil."

"Ok, so you perform what I'm guessing are good rituals to work magick? What exactly are you saying here?"

"That depends on what you call a ritual. Let's take something simple, like having light in a room. There are many paths to magick just like there are many ways to have light in a room. You don't just think 'be brighter' and light appears out of nowhere. Let's take a modern example you're familiar with."

"You have accepted the physical law of the universe that says that electricity can create light. You prepare for your ritual by purchasing a lamp and a light bulb. Your site for performing this ritual is prepared by setting your lamp on a table and plugging it in to access the flow of electricity. Now when you want light, you perform the ritual of flipping the switch. Common and mundane magick because billions of people accept that performing the ritual of flipping the switch will result in light in the room."

"Doesn't sound very magical, Ange. I figured you for something a little more esoteric."

"No, it doesn't sound magical, but it illustrates the elements of a ritual, and the theory I've described. It also shows that a ritual doesn't need to be arcane and mysterious to work. The light comes on because you believe it will come on, you've tapped into an energy source, and you perform a ritual to make it happen."

"A ritual is something that you do to get your mind into a place where you can believe that it's possible to do something. Remember what you said about believing in something hard enough to make it happen, and how science and research make it possible to alter reality to conform to belief. Ritual magick works the same way. Performing specific steps and doing things in a certain way allows your mind to believe that the outcome is possible and allows you to make it happen."

"This is all a lot of interesting theory, and an interesting world view and philosophy, but right now I'm having a little difficulty getting my mind to believe that I can accept all of this."

"That's ok. This is a lot to take in. I've only scratched the surface and given you the kindergarten version of how it all works. It's ok to be skeptical. I'm asking you to shift your entire world view, and I haven't offered any proof or evidence. So far I've just offered a lot of conjecture and crazy ideas with nothing to back it up."

"Umm, do you have any proof or evidence to make me believe that this is true, and it isn't just a curious theory?"

"Yes, I figured you'd need to see to believe. It usually works that way. I can show you some things, but remember, just like buying the lamp and plugging it in, there is preparation involved. Just like the belief in electricity to power the light bulb, there are other sources of power you can tap into. Flipping the switch is the easy part. I've prepared a couple of simple examples, but I won't go into the preparation right now. What I'll show you is just the end result, the flipping the switch part."

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind. What are you going to do?"

"Do you have a pencil? I want to use something you have here, so you know it's not special or some kind of prop."

"Sure, let me take a look…" I got off the bed and went to the desk and opened the drawer. There were several plain ordinary looking yellow No.2 pencils lying in the tray in the front of the desk drawer. I picked one up and started to hand it to Angela, but she held up her hand to stop me.

"No, I don't want to touch it so you won't think I did something to it to influence what happens. Now touch the tip of the pencil to the desk and hold it so it stands up straight. When I tell you, let go and move your hand away."

I did what Angela said, and then she came over and stood next to me, and held her hand about six inches over the eraser end of the pencil. I felt the tingling sensation in my scalp and the chill that ran down my spine again, like it had when I met Alice after breakfast this morning.

"Ok, let go and move your hand away from the pencil."

I let go and carefully moved my hand away, but the pencil didn't fall. It continued to stand on end, balancing on the tip of the point. I looked closer, and it started to slowly rotate around it's axis as Angela held her hand over it without touching it.

"That is so cool! That's amazing, Angela, It should have fallen by now!"

"This is really pretty simple once you learn how to focus your mind to the task."

She moved her hand across the desk, and the pencil followed under her hand as she moved it as though it was suspended by an invisible string. After a couple of minutes of watching the pencil hover over my desk, she lifted her hand away and the pencil dropped.

"Ok, for this next example, you need to come sit in front of your mirror at the vanity."

I complied with her request and sat down on the bench in front of the vanity and looked into the mirror. Angela walked up and stood behind me, looking at my reflection in the mirror.

"The trick with the pencil was a simple form of telekinesis to overcome gravity and apply balance to the pencil to make it stand upright. This next spell is a simple glamour. It's a form of illusion. This one in particular alters perception to change your appearance, but there are others that are more powerful. Keep your eyes on your reflection in the mirror, and tell me what you see."

Angela passed her hands in front of my face, and held her hands in front of my eyes for a second, blocking my view of the mirror. I felt the tingling sensation in my scalp and the chill that ran down my spine again, and I wondered what caused it. Then her hands were moving down out of the way and I was looking at myself in the mirror again. I didn't notice any change at first.

"Ok, what am I looking at? What did you do?"

"Really, you don't see anything different?" Angela asked, but she had a wide smile on her face.

I studied my reflection, and then it hit me. My eyes were a bright piercing blue in my reflection in the mirror.

"My eyes are blue…" Charlie had said Alice's eyes were blue, but they'd looked golden butterscotch to me.

"Angela, each time you did one of these… examples, I felt a tingling sensation in my scalp and a chill that ran down my spine. What's causing that?"

"It means that you're very sensitive to the presence of magick. I thought you might have some kind of reaction after you described how you reacted when you came to my house yesterday. The sensation you felt at the gate and the shock you got was a reaction to the wards and protections cast around my house. You shouldn't have been able to notice them, but you are very sensitive and very powerful. I had to tune these examples to account for your unique aura, or they wouldn't have worked so close to you."

"So let's say somebody was using a… glamour… to alter they're appearance, but it wasn't adjusted to fix it to work around me. What would happen if I was close enough to talk to them and carry on a conversation?"

"The way your aura radiates power, it would be totally blown away. You'd see right through it like it didn't exist. Why, what happened?"

I didn't want to tell Angela about what had happened with Alice this morning. I still felt bad that she had seemed embarrassed, but now I had a pretty good idea that she didn't forget her contacts. I still wanted to talk to Alice about it before I said anything to Angela. This was all a lot to take in, but I had to tell her something, so I fabricated a half truth that accounted for the facts.

"There was a guy I knew in Phoenix that wanted to take me out. He was absolutely drop dead gorgeous, and my girlfriends all said he had beautiful blue eyes, but when I talked to him I felt the same tingling sensation in my scalp and the chill that ran down my spine. His eyes weren't blue when I talked to him… they were a strange red orange ocher color."

"Drop dead gorgeous and red orange ocher eyes? Oh you poor dear, he didn't hurt you, did he?" Angela spoke with a concern that belied her years. "You went with him, didn't you? You probably couldn't resist, and you had no idea why you couldn't…"

"Yes… but how did you know? How could you know?"

"Because I know what he was, but you're ok. You're still alive…" She seemed surprised. "How did you get away?"

"Angela, what aren't you telling me? You said 'what he was', not who he was. What do you think happened?"

"Ok, now don't freak out, you've already taken in a lot this afternoon, and I don't want to shock you, or scare you…"

"Angela, you just got done explaining to me how the universe really works, that magick is real, and I'm sitting here staring at my blue eyes in the mirror because of a spell you cast. I think I'm a little bit past don't freak out because this is weird at this point. Now tell me what you know."

"Ok, remember when I mentioned mythical creatures, well you didn't seem too receptive to the idea… Some of them still exist in the world, despite science's best attempts to explain them out of existence. I think the guy you're describing was an incubus, a type of mythical creature. What you would probably call a vampire."

"Vampire! No fucking way! They're real!"

"I told you not to freak out. Yeah, according to the research I have, they're real. But I don't see how you escaped. All the stories I've heard say they usually kill their victims or more rarely change them to be like them. According to the legends, incubi are usually attracted to beautiful young women. They lure them away or come to them in the night and… steal their innocence… and then drink their blood, often to the point where they die from blood loss. The stories say that they have the power to compel their victims. It's like a kind of mind control to make you want to do what they say…"

"Yeah, that sounds exactly like what happened with James…"

"But you're alive. That's a good sign. Incubi, vampires have free will, just like humans. They don't have to be evil, or creatures of darkness. They're one of the meta-human races closest to human because for the most part they used to be human. If this James let you go…"

"He didn't 'let me go', Ange… He had my mind in a fog just like you said, and I had to do what he told me to. He had me stripped half naked in the back seat of his car, and was about two seconds away from raping me… I wanted him to do it, but part of my brain knew it was wrong… somehow I fought him off… Now this sounds weird, or not considering… I pushed him away, but he was so strong I don't know how I did it. There was a bright flash of light, and suddenly he was blown through the door of the car and landed in a heap in the parking lot. He didn't move, and I didn't go check to see if he was alive. The keys were in the ignition, so I took his car and got the hell out of there…"

"Oh my god… I'm so sorry, Bella… that must have been terrible…"

"It was, but how did I get away?"

"I told you that you were powerful. Terrible as that encounter was, I think it triggered your awakening. It freed your aura and let your light shine through. The aura of power that was beginning to emerge around you probably dulled and partially blanked out his compulsion ability to let you break through his control. Then your natural survival instinct let you unleash your potential and lash out at him to save yourself. That was the force of your will that threw him away from you."

"Ok, that's better than the explanation I came up with. I thought I'd had an adrenaline burst of strength, but I couldn't explain the flash of light. I thought I was seeing thing from the drugs and alcohol…"

"Umm, drugs and alcohol?"

"Uhh… Yeah, he kind of picked me up at a party, and I'd had some beers. Then when I was under his influence in the car, they were smoking marijuana and made me share it with them…"

"But that wasn't the first time…"

"No…" I really didn't want to discuss this right now, and changed the subject. "You don't really believe in vampires, do you? That's insane they can't really exist…"

"My journals say that they're real, and I've met other mythical creatures before... You've encountered one now too. I'm not lying to you, Bella. Trust your own experience, and you tell me if you think they're real or not. Your mind can accept the truth. Do you honestly believe James was human?"

She was right, it all fit. What were the odds that James and Alice and Jasper would all have ochre colored eyes, and then be using a glamour to hide the fact. They were all supernaturally beautiful, and James had used his power to control my mind. I couldn't escape the truth. Vampires existed, and I had met at least three of them, but there were more too. James had been with Laurent and Victoria, and Alice had more brothers, a sister, and parents. They were probably all like her too. Were they like James? Alice had seemed friendly enough, but then so had James at first.

"Ange, why were you so excited when you thought James had let me go? You said that these incubi, vampires… have free will, just like humans. Why is that important?"

"Because they can choose their own path and make decisions about their destiny. They don't have to be evil, or creatures of darkness. They can choose whether they embrace good or evil based on their actions. This James was obviously evil, but they don't all have to take that path."

"Ok… But I really don't see why that's so important…"

"Ok, now don't freak out…"

"Angela…!"

"Right… There's supposed to be a group of incubi living somewhere in this part of Washington, here on the Olympic Peninsula…"

"What! There are more monsters like James living right here raping young girls and murdering people!"

Were there more of them like James? She couldn't mean the Cullen's. They had just moved here recently.

"No, no, Calm down! You see, it's not like that. I know that they're supposed to be here because of what my grandfather told me, but I haven't been able to find them. It's really strange. If they were living like the journals describe them you'd expect disappearances and mysterious unexplained deaths, but none of that has happened here…"

So she was searching for them, and they were supposed to have been here for a long time if her grandfather's journals talked about them. How many were there if there was another group besides the Cullen's?

"My dad was investigating the remains of a missing person yesterday. He got the call right after I was done unpacking. He said that something strange has been going on out in La Push."

"Umm… I know about the problems in La Push, but that doesn't have anything to do with incubi. That's the Quileutes problem, and they're doing what they can."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on in La Push?"

"I can't. I gave my word and promised not to say anything. All I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with what we were discussing. There have been no vampire related deaths or attacks reported anywhere in this area for a long time."

"Ok, so you're convinced that there is a group of vampires living somewhere here on the Olympic Peninsula, but there have been no vampire attacks. Vampires have free will like humans, so what you think these are good vampires? Obviously they aren't eating people around here, so therefore they aren't evil?" That made me feel better about keeping quiet about Alice. If she wasn't like James, them I was curious to find out more about her.

"Yeah, that's my theory in a nutshell." Angela said with a smug expression.

"Well, if there's a reason that they have to be here, then they obviously wouldn't want to cause a stir where they live. How often do they have to eat? I'm pretty sure I would have heard of them before, if they were snacking on people everyday. They could be going somewhere else for meal time if it isn't too often."

Angela sighed, "I suppose that's a possibility too, but I'd like to be able to give them the benefit of the doubt when I run into them. As far as I can tell, they only need human blood about once every couple of weeks to survive."

"Heck, Angela, with modern transportation, they could go practically anywhere in the world to eat and you wouldn't be any the wiser."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true, but I haven't noticed anyone making regular trips out of town either."

"Out of… town…? You think they live in Forks!"

"Umm… Yeah, if my sources are correct…"

"Ok, well I'll keep my eyes open. Speaking of which, will this eye color thing wear off or what? I need to go get dinner going, and I don't want Charlie to freak out."

"Sure, let me fix that…" and she passed her hands in front of my eyes again.

"Angela! C'mon, quit fooling around!" but I laughed at my reflection in the mirror, and Angela giggled behind me. My eyes were brown again, but now my hair was honey blond.

"I think it looks cute on you, and you'd never have to worry about brown roots…" I glared at her. She passed her hands in front of my eyes again, and I was back to normal.

"Are you going to stay for dinner, Angela?" I asked as I got up from the vanity and stepped into a pair of sandals to go downstairs.

"Sure, Bella sounds good. After we eat do you want to come hang out and meet some people? I'll buy you dessert."

"Ok, sounds like fun."

I had anticipated Angela staying for dinner when I made my preparations earlier. I popped the potatoes into the oven to bake and flipped the steaks in the marinade. The potatoes would take the longest to cook, so I sat down at the table and chatted with Angela until it was time to put the steaks on to broil. After a while, I got a frozen vegetable out of the freezer and put it on to heat and started the steaks. Angela helped me set the table, and then everything was done at the same time.

I was wondering where Charlie had wandered off to again, but the door to the basement opened right after the timer on the stove went off. Charlie locked the basement door behind himself as I got dinner out of the oven, and then went to go wash his hands while I fixed plates.

I suppose Charlie had gotten out of the habit of dinner conversation after long years alone, but he made an effort to chat with Angela and asked her about school, her family, and Ben. I was the quiet one tonight and made a few comments and answered questions, but for the most part I was lost in thought.

Angela thought that there were a group of incubi, vampires, living somewhere close to Forks. Heck, she thought they were living in Forks. I mentally ticked off what I really knew about them. They were drop dead gorgeous, they had red orange ocher eyes, and they could compel people to do what they wanted with some kind of mind control. Legend had it that they were attracted to young women whom they ravished, they fed on blood, and apparently could use magick. Angela thought that they were likely good vampires because there hadn't been any local deaths or disappearances, and I supposed that was a possibility.

I kept thinking about Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale. They were both drop dead gorgeous. They apparently used Magick to hide their eye color. Jasper had red orange ocher eyes just like James, but Alice's eyes had been more golden. Why were Alice's eyes different? Was she an incubus too? The thought of little Alice chasing after girls made me a little sick, but she'd seemed to have some kind of relationship with Jasper. Were they the vampires that Angela was searching for? Alice had said that they'd moved here a year ago, but I didn't know how long Angela had been looking. It sounded like she'd been talking about more than a year, more like she'd expected vampires to have been here for a long time if she'd learned about them from her grandfather. I needed more answers.

We finished dinner, and Angela helped me clear away the dishes, and then pitched in to help me wash them. I told Charlie I was going out with Angela to meet some of her friends, and ran upstairs to fix my makeup and change my shoes. Angela was waiting when I came back down stairs. I grabbed our coats and we left. We walked down to Angela's house to get her car.

"Angela, are all incubi male? Are there any female incubus?"

Angela laughed at my apparent naïveté.

"Incubus refers to the males of the species. Succubus is the female of the species."

"Ok… How are they different? Are they're eyes the same as the males, or do they change colors?"

"Well, the females are usually attracted to men, instead of women. The journal entries I've studied say that all of their eyes are normally a golden yellow, but the turn red orange from drinking human blood."

"Do they always kill their victims? How much blood do they need? If they have that mind control thing, couldn't they just take enough to get by and then make the victim forget about the encounter?"

"You know, that never occurred to me, but that would work too I guess If they didn't need to kill to feed. Maybe they aren't evil after all if they make a conscious decision not to kill humans when they feed. The journals never mentioned that possibility."

We got to Angela's house, and she opened the garage door. We got into a burgundy colored Honda Civic four door sedan, Angela backed out of the garage, and we started toward downtown.

"Is this your car?" I asked.

"Yeah, my parent's gave it to me when they got their new car, instead of trading it in. Ben wants to customize it, but I put my foot down, and told him no. We need one sensible car."

"Guy's…"

"Yeah, but he's sweet."

"Angela, you keep referring to these journals, what are they?"

"They're part of my research library. They're my grandfather's journals mostly, and several hundred years worth of arcane knowledge in notes and journals that were passed down through his family before him."

"Why are you so interested in finding this group of incubi, and why are you so hopeful that they turn out to be good guys? It doesn't sound like you're hunting them or anything."

"No, I don't want to destroy them, as long as they aren't hurting people. It's just something I want to finish for my grandfather. If they exist, then they're here for the same reason my grandfather was."

"And I suppose you aren't going to tell me what that was either…"

""I can't. I gave my word and promised not to say anything…"

We had driven out to N. Forks Avenue, and turned right when we got to the main drag through town. We went north for about five blocks while we talked, and then I saw the sign for Sully's Drive-in.

"You have a lot of secrets to keep Angela."

"You don't know the half of it, Bella. I hope you don't mind. I share what I can, and I want you to be my friend. It's just I've made promises, and I have to keep them too." Angela turned into the driveway, and started to look for a parking place. "Bella, what we talked about this afternoon needs to stay private between you and me. Ben knows and a couple of trusted friends. I'll let you know who they are when you meet them, but don't say anything to anyone else unless we talk about it first, ok?"

"I want to be your friend too, Ange. I can keep my mouth shut. It's our secret."

"Thanks Bella."

The place was crowded, and it looked like most of the crowd was high school age kids. I figured this must be the local high school hang out, and then Angela pulled into a parking place next to Bens red and black Toyota Corolla. I recognized Mike Newton's Nissan 350Z. There were a lot of other customized cars like Bens and Mikes cars and had that not too subtle racecar look.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car. So much for the first day of school, it looked like half the school was here tonight, and I'd get to make my first impression early. There were picnic tables outside under a high carport style awning, and a few brave souls were hanging out talking, but Angela led the way to the door and we went inside.

I could feel the eyes on me staring, and I knew I was suddenly the topic of every conversation in the room as soon as I walked through the door with Angela. I could feel the heat of the blush rise in my cheeks, but I held my head high and followed Angela through the crowd of teenagers. I saw where she was headed when we were about halfway into the restaurant.

Ben Cheney was sitting at a large booth along the back wall talking with a couple of girls. He was seated alone on one side, and the girl from the grocery store, Haley, and another girl with shoulder length curly brown hair were sitting on the other side. Haley was still wearing the black slacks, white button down shirt and sensible black work shoes that she'd had on this morning at the grocery store. The other girl had on jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt with a sweater over it, and some kitten heeled pumps. Angela slid into the booth next to Ben, and motioned for me to sit down next to her.

"Bella, these are my friends, Haley O'Donnell and Michaela Clark. Haley, Michaela, this is Bella Swan. She's Chief Swan's daughter that moved here from Phoenix Arizona on Friday. She lives down the street from me, and she's my friend again. We knew each other when we were seven."

"Hi" I said, kind of at a loss for words at Angela's glowing recommendation. Haley and Michaela smiled and nodded.

"Bella, Haley and Michaela share my hobby that I was telling you about, and they know about what we were talking about this afternoon."

Haley and Michaela looked at me a little differently and had knowing smiles now, and then after a second of intense study, they both had the same awestruck bewildered expression that first Ben and then Alice had when they first met me.

Angela leaned conspiratorially across the table and Haley and Michaela leaned in too. "She's a completely natural talent. Bella hasn't had any training, and didn't even know anything about magick until I talked to her this afternoon," Angela whispered.

There were gasps, and then Haley and Michaela were staring at me with the awestruck expressions again.

"You don't think she's a…" Michaela began.

"Yeah, I think she might be… I've been reading up about them all night." She glanced up, and then whispered. "Hush now. We'll all discuss this later when we have some privacy." And she sat back up.

Mike Newton was sitting with a big group of kids at a table in the middle of the room, right across from where I was sitting at the edge of the booth. He was talking to the kid that had bagged our groceries this morning. I thought his nametag had said 'Tyler'. He was tan, and looked like he'd be about six foot one, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was sitting next to a girl with corn silk blonde hair, and green fishy eyes with pale eyebrows.

Mike turned his chair so it was halfway facing me, and waved me over. "Hey, Bella, come meet some of my friends…"

I glanced at Angela, and she nodded "Go ahead, and meet people. What do you want for dessert, and I'll go order…"

"Umm… Chocolate sundae?"

"Chocolate or hot fudge?" Angela asked with a smile.

"Oh, hot fudge, definitely." I slid out of the booth and walked over to Mike's table, and Angela got up and went up to the front counter to order.

"Hey, Mike, so these are some of your friends?" I asked.

"Yeah, Tyler said he saw you today at the grocery store. Bella Swan, this is Tyler Crowley. Hey everyone, Bella is starting at Newton's on Wednesday after school." Then Mike went around the table naming people.

Most of them seemed friendly but I got a couple of dirty looks from some of the girls. The girl next to him was Jessica Stanley. She was five foot one with long curly dark brown hair and blue eyes. The girl with the green fishy eyes was Lauren Mallory. There were another couple of guys, Eric Yorkie came off as the classic overly-helpful, geeky, chess club type. He was six foot three with hair 'as black as an oil slick', brown eyes, and a poor complexion. Tanner was tall and blond, and Dean was tall and dark haired. Katie was blond haired and blue eyed and seemed friendly enough.

I was feeling a little overwhelmed at all the introductions, and I was sure I wouldn't remember most of their names. I was saved when Angela came walking back with our ice cream, and I excused myself to go back to the booth with Angela. I slid in next to her and was enjoying my sundae as I chatted with the group. The conversation revolved around races that were scheduled for tonight out at the old State Airport. It was Saturday night, and Ben was eager to show off some tricks he'd been practicing. A lot of the other kids would head out there too from the sound of it and Angela, Haley and Michaela were all going. It sounded like fun, and I was excited to go watch. Haley needed to go home and change and then we were all going to drive out together with Angela.

I was done with my ice cream, so I excused myself to go outside for a minute. I needed to call Charlie and tell him where I was going. I really didn't mind checking in, and it was part of our agreement. I slid out of the booth and walked outside by the picnic tables. I could still see everyone inside through the plate glass windows, and I reached into my purse and got out a cigarette and lit it. I saw some raised eyebrows, but that was about it. Then I turned away from the window to look out at the parking lot while I smoked my cigarette. I got out my cell phone and speed dialed Charlie's house. He picked up after a couple of rings.

"_Chief Swan._"

"Hey, Charlie, it's Bella."

"_Oh hi, Bells, are you having fun with Angela?_"

"Yeah, we're still up at the drive-in. Hey, dad, Ben is here, and some of the kids are gonna go out to the airport to watch the races tonight. I'm gonna ride out with Angela, and her friends Haley and Michaela to go watch, alright?"

"_Ok, Bella, but be careful. Stay out of those cars when they're pulling those stunts, alright? Stay with Angela, she's a good girl. Will you be home by curfew?_"

"I don't know yet. How long do these races usually run? Will that be enough time?"

"_Why don't we just say midnight for tonight, ok? If you're still with Angela and you're going to be later, call me. Ok?_"

"Thanks' dad. I'll see you tonight."

"_Bye' Bells_," and he hung up. I clicked my phone shut, and put it back in my purse.

I turned to look back in through the window to give Angela the thumbs up. I was startled to see Mike Newton sitting on top of the picnic table by the corner of the building. I got Angela's attention, and motioned that I was good to go. Angela nodded at Mike and rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Hey, Bella," Mike said. "So you're going out to watch the races tonight?"

"Yeah, Ben seemed excited about it, so I was gonna ride out with Angela and go watch."

I didn't really mind that Mike had been eavesdropping on my conversation. I had told everyone what I was going outside to do, and it wasn't a secret that I was going to the races tonight. I took a drag off my cigarette and blew out the smoke as I stepped closer to where Mike was sitting. He seemed to like that I moved closer to him.

"I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go watch me race tonight. I could give you a ride out if you like… I was hoping I could talk to you and get to know you better."

"Umm… Mike, I just met you, and I already told my dad I was riding with Ange. I really don't want to lie to him or call him back… Maybe we can just talk out at the races after I get there."

"Ok, it's a date. I'm holding you to that, but I want a chance to talk to you alone, without everyone trying to listen to every word we say."

"Ok, I guess that would be fair, since you won't have the chance to talk in the car." I moved over to the table next to Mike and leaned against it while I smoked my cigarette so we could talk.

"Thanks', Bella, so how did you end up coming back to Forks after all this time? My mom said this is the first time you've been back in ten years."

"Well, I never really lived in Forks since I was a baby. I was born here, but I only came for a two week vacation every year until I was seven. I was sick of the wet, and Charlie trying to take me fishing every time I came here, so when I was eight I threw a fit and made him meet me halfway for a two week vacation in California. We just kept doing that each year after that. I finally decided I wanted to spend some quality time with my dad before I go off to college, so I decided to come live with him until I graduate."

That sounded like a likely excuse that people would buy. Maybe I was only going to be here for nine months, but I didn't need to start rumors that might get back to Charlie, and people didn't need to know that my mom had basically thrown me out of the house.

"Huh, that's nice. I guess your dad deserves a chance to get to know you before you're gone and out on your own. So does he know you smoke?"

"Yeah, he says if that's the worst I do he can live with it. I was surprised, Charlie is actually pretty cool. My mom always kind of made him sound like some kind of hard assed by the book cop who always lived by the letter of the law, but on day one he laid out the rules, and told me what he expected out of me. He's much looser and easier going than the letter of the law, by a mile."

"Yeah, I know. He had me cold last year for street racing, but he cut me some slack when by right's he could have pulled my license until I'm eighteen."

"So is that the favor your mom owed him?" I knew it was, but he didn't need to know that.

"I think so, but she would have hired you anyhow. It was more just your dad letting her know that you were interested than anything else. She so didn't want to hire Lauren, but Samantha practically promised the job to her when she turned in her notice. My mom was grateful for an excuse to not hire her."

"And they're all ok that I got the job instead of Lauren?" I nodded toward the window behind us to indicate the kids in the shop in general. "…because your mom owed my dad a favor? Sounds like the kind of backroom deals you'd hear about…"

"…in a small town. Yeah, well Forks is a small town, and people make those kinds of deals to get along and smooth things over. It's a small town, and we've all gotta live together. People understand and nobody minds, except maybe Lauren, but it wasn't Samantha's place to make that kind of promise."

"Ok," At least now I knew why Lauren was giving me dirty looks. I took another drag off my cigarette, and blew out the smoke. "So how do you like living in Forks? You've been here for what? Ten years now? Where did you live before?"

"Forks is ok. Wetter than I like, but it's better in the forest. I hike and camp a lot with my dad, and you don't notice the rain and the wet so much deep in the forest. We moved here from sunny California ten years ago. I was seven, so it wasn't so bad. I guess I was lucky to get out when I did. I've been back to visit my cousins where we used to live… All the kids I used to play with are gang bangers and drug dealers now… They all listen to gangsta rap, and take turns getting arrested when they aren't beating the hell out of some punk that wandered onto their turf by mistake."

"Huh, Yeah, I guess Forks sounds pretty good compared to that."

"Yeah, I wish it was sunnier sometimes, but I'm not complaining."

I looked over my shoulder, and Angela, Ben and the girls were getting up from the booth. "Hey, Mike, this was cool, talking… Ange and the girls are getting ready to leave. I need to run to the ladies, but I'll see you out at the Airport, ok?"

"Sure thing, Bella, go on and ride with your friends, and we'll talk more later."

I got up from the table, and crushed out my cigarette butt in the ash tray by the corner of the building. I looked back at Mike, and he was still staring at me with a kind of hungry look in his eyes. I felt a little thrill and my panties were damper as I turned away and hurried back inside. Haley, Michaela and Angela were all headed the same place, and I met them outside the door of the ladies room. We pushed open the door and went in.

I didn't really need to use the restroom, but I washed my hands, and fixed my makeup. I touched up my cover up with a little powder from a compact and reapplied my lipstick and lip gloss. The girls seemed excited to find out what Mike had wanted.

"So what did you talk to Mike about?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, so did he ask you out yet?" Michaela wanted to know.

"Well, he wanted to drive me to the airport, so we could talk, but I told him I'd already told my dad I was riding with Ange. We chatted about how we ended up in Forks and how I got my job…"

"So are you gonna go out with him when he asks you?" Michaela asked.

"Mike's kinda cute, and he seems nice enough. I suppose he's dateable."

"Jessica Stanley will be so pissed, but it serves her right. She's been chasing him again ever since she broke up with him." Michaela said. Dirty look number two, explained. Mike and Jessica had a history.

"I went out with Mike once," Haley said. "We went to dinner and a movie in Port Angeles. He can be a gentleman if you make him, but I got tired of having to force the issue."

"He's not a player or something, is he? How many girls has he gone out with?" Mike seemed nice. I hoped it wasn't just an act to get me alone…

"Mike's a guy, and he's part of the popular crowd." Haley continued. "He's gone out on his fair share of dates with different girls, but I wouldn't call him a player. Not like the Cullen's, not even close."

We went outside, and I got into Angela's car to follow Haley and Michaela to Haley's house. Haley lived in the same neighborhood as Angela and me, on the next block over.

"Hey, Ange, what did Haley mean about the Cullen's? My dad mentioned that too, that a lot of parents were mad at them. He said that he'd had calls about them staying out late and stuff."

"Well, I don't like to spread rumors or gossip about anyone, but the Cullen's have been kind of at the heart of the gossip mill at Forks high school ever since they moved here. Most of the time, they're paired off and it's like they're together. They're not really related, so it sounds worse than it is, but it's like they have these open relationships where they're together as boyfriend and girlfriend most of the time, but they date other people too."

"Really? Do they cheat on each other? Is it one of those break-up, rebound, make-up things? Do they date other people to make they're girlfriends jealous so they can get back together?"

"No, it's stranger than that… It's like if one of the guys wants to take out some other girl on a date; his girlfriend just looks the other way, and doesn't seem to mind at all. It's the same way for the girls too. They date other guys. I've never seen them fight about it either. It's not like it happens all the time, everyday, but often enough that people notice and talk about it."

"My dad said that there were five of them. I met Alice at breakfast this morning. She was with a guy named Jasper Hale…"

"Yeah, the other three are Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett."

"Jasper is in High School? He seems too old…"

"Jasper and Rosalie were injured in the car accident that killed their parents. They missed a lot of school before they came to Forks, and were held back or they would have graduated by now. It's not like they aren't smart enough, they're both straight A students. They're both seniors, and they'll graduate this year."

We parked in front of Haley's house, and Michaela came over and got in the back seat while we waited for Haley.

"So what's up girls?" Michaela asked as she slid into the back seat.

"I was just telling Bella a little about the Cullen's." Angela said. "She was curious about them."

"Yeah, the Cullen's are fun if you're just looking for a good time and don't care about having a relationship. I went out with Edward once… It was fun, but I don't remember a lot of the night. They're loaded, and spend money like it means nothing to them. He took me all the way to a fancy restaurant in Seattle, and bribed the waiter to bring us a bottle of champagne… I can't believe I kissed him on the first date, but it was the only time we went out. I've heard stories about what girls did with him on the second date… Let's just say it's a good thing they were on the pill."

"So Edward dates a lot?" I asked.

They both laughed, "Let's just say Edward gets a lot of action," Angela said.

"Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Edward has gone out with most of the girls in the junior and senior classes, and even some of the sophomores. He's probably slept with most of them too." Michaela said

"I haven't gone out with any of the Cullen's," Angela smiled.

"Well yeah, you've been going steady with Ben since the end of freshman year before the Cullen's moved here. I'm pretty sure everyone in school knows just how serious you two are. I don't see why you don't just wear the ring Ange, everyone knows…"

"Not everyone, Michaela," and Angela glanced at me. "We agreed we wouldn't make an official announcement and go public until we turn eighteen."

"Umm, what kind of ring, Angela?" I asked with a big grin.

"Huh… You need to learn how to keep secrets better, Michaela…"

"Oh c'mon, it's not like she wasn't gonna find out if she's hanging out with us. I bet you two disappeared into Ben's bedroom while you were hanging out yesterday." Angela blushed bright red. "Yeah, I thought so. Can't keep your hands off each other…"

"Angela, was there something you wanted to tell me?" I asked with a big grin on my face.

"Ok, ok, just don't say anything… Ben and I are engaged…" She reached into the neck of her sweater and took off a chain from around her neck. She slipped the ring off the chain and onto her left hand. The diamond wasn't huge, but it was pretty, and sparkled in the street light.

"Wow, what did your parents say…" I noticed the pained expression on Angela's face. "You haven't told them…"

"No, my mother knows… I told her when I asked her to take me to the doctor for birth control pills. We haven't told my father yet… Ben's parents know, and they're glad we're waiting before we say anything. They think this is a phase that Ben will outgrow and come to his senses. They like me, and they're keeping it private so I won't be embarrassed when Ben gets cold feet and breaks it off. They just treat me like his girlfriend. They don't realize that Ben's the one that wanted this, and had to convince me…"

"Wow… Have you set a date? I couldn't imagine being engaged at eighteen. My mom would go ballistic. She got me on the pill to keep me from making any mistakes, but she'd absolutely shit her pants If I told her I was getting married…"

"Wait, you're on the pill too?" Michaela asked. "Did you have a boyfriend in Phoenix you aren't telling us about?"

"No, no boyfriend. I dated some, but I still got my V card. It never got that serious with any boy. My mom just took me to the doctor when I turned sixteen and got me a prescription. She said she knew what could happen in the heat of the moment, and she didn't trust guys enough to remember to use a condom."

"Your mom's right, Bella," Angela said. "I'm glad I talked to my mom and got on the pill. I'm sure I would have slipped up and forgotten when things were getting intense with Ben. I would have made a mistake by now, if I hadn't taken some precautions."

"That is so unfair…" Michaela complained. "My mom is your mom's polar opposite. She says the only appropriate birth control is abstinence, and I should wait 'til I'm married. Condoms suck. They ruin the mood. Hell, you're on the pill, and you aren't even getting any action."

"Well, let's just keep that between us girls, Ok? I don't want some guy to think I'm looking for that kind of relationship, just because I'm being careful. If it happens, I'm cool with that, but it'll happen when I'm ready for it to happen."

The girls nodded to agree with me, and I saw Haley come out of the house and walk to the car. She was wearing a skirt like Angela, with tights, kitten heeled pumps and a pull over sweater. She had on a long coat but she hadn't buttoned it, and the belt hung loose. She got in the back with Michaela and we pulled away from the curb.

"So do a lot of girls around here wear skirts to go out and hang out with friends? Don't get me wrong, both of your outfits are really cool, and look cute. Maybe a little dressier than I'm used too, but I can't remember the last time I wore a skirt or dress unless I was going to a wedding or something."

"I don't know," Angela said. "I just find them more comfortable and feminine. I don't think I even own a half dozen pair of slacks or even sweats. I've always worn skirts and dresses since I was little, but then I've been practicing magick since I was seven."

"It's something you'll learn about as you learn more about how magick works, Bella," Haley said. "Your energy can flow more freely and it's easier to perform certain workings when you wear certain clothes, or sometimes none at all. Dresses and skirts are symbolic of the robes that we wear for some rituals and make some magicks easier to control."

"Yeah, we all wear skirts all the time, and don't give it a second thought." Michaela chimed in. "I suppose its influenced fashion at school a bit. A lot of the other girls started wearing them too, because we did. I think they really wanted to all along but were afraid they wouldn't fit in, so when we dressed the way we did a lot of other girls jumped on the band wagon. It's not uncommon to see girls in skirts at school in Forks. A lot of them wear them a couple of times a week."

"Sara wears dresses almost as often as Angela," Haley said.

"I've seen Sara wear jeans to school before," Michaela said.

"Those weren't really jeans. That was a glamour to make you think she was wearing jeans. Sara doesn't even own any," Haley said.

"Who is Sara?" I asked

"Sara Martin," Angela said. "She's another member of our group. She went away with her family to visit relatives over the holidays. She'll be back in Forks Tuesday night and back in school on Wednesday."

We talked some more about boys and school and a little about magick as we drove out to the old State airport. It seemed like there was a good amount of traffic heading in that direction. Angela drove north out of Forks up Highway 101, but we didn't go too far north of town, and she turned off onto La Push Road, Highway 110, heading west towards La Push. From what the girls said, we'd end up in La Push on the Quileute Reservation if we followed La Push road all the way to the coast. There was a sign for the airport, and Angela turned right onto Quillayute Road, still heading towards the coast.

The roads wound through the forest, and it was dark out now. Angela had her high beams on to see farther ahead. There were no street lights, but the turns and bends in the road were well marked with reflectors and glowing white paint. Still I could see the scrapes along the guard rails in a lot of places where cars had left paint on the barriers despite the darkness and the speed of our passage. There were places where whole sections of guard rail had been replaced after being torn out of the way by some out of control car that had ceased to be a vehicle, but had become a missile hurtling it's occupants to their deaths. There were crosses decorated with flowers and ribbons on more than one hairpin turn, and I wondered about the people that came out here to dare each other to drive too fast on these winding roads. Could life in Forks be so boring that these boys were willing to subject their families to the pain of their loss?

Finally we emerged from the forest, and I could see bright lights up ahead. There were a scattering of buildings at the airport ahead of us. It looked like the main terminal building was dark but there were a couple of hangars and warehouses that had lights on in them. There was a line of cars parked along the edge of the tarmac in front of the terminal building facing toward the main runway, and a crowd of people milling around. Most of the airport was like an island of light in the surrounding dark, with the runway lights burning bright like fire.

Angela pulled into an opening in the line of cars parked at the edge of the tarmac. She shut off the engine and we got out of the car. I followed Angela and the girls into the crowd, and soon we found Ben working on his car. There were some new numbers and markings on the rear window on the driver side in what looked like white paint marker. Ben had the hood open and was making adjustments, but he ducked back out from under the hood to greet Angela and held her for a minute and kissed her before returning to his work.

There were a lot of cars out on the tarmac tuning up. Most of them had the white paint marks on the windows, like Bens car. I spotted Mike Newton. He was working on his car with a couple of guys. Tyler Crowley was working on another car. Haley and Michaela wandered off into the crowd to mingle and talk to their other friends. Angela was watching Ben work, so I asked her what was going on.

"Hey, Ange, I'm a little lost here… What's going on now, and what are the markings on the windows of the cars?"

"All of the guys and teams are making last minute adjustments to the cars." Then she pointed to a group of trucks and cars parked out at the corner where the two runways crossed at a right angle. "That's where the judging will take place. The cars will make a circuit around the track, up this access road, around onto the runway, around the corner where the runways cross, and then the other access road and across the edge of the tarmac."

"The markings in the windows show that the cars have passed inspection and checked in. In a little bit, they'll start the qualifying sessions or Tansou, basically a speed run. Each drifter gets individual passes in front of judges to try and make the top sixteen. If there were less than sixteen drifters, they'd skip that part."

"The finals are tandem passes or Tsuiso, chase attack. Drivers are paired off based on the qualifying round, and they get two passes for each heat, each driver taking a turn to lead. The best of the 8 heats go to the next 4, to the next 2, to the final."

"The passes are judged on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line, which is announced beforehand by judges. The show factor is based on multiple things, such as the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, or in this case the edge of the track and the soft open field, and the crowd's reaction. Angle is the angle of a car in the drift, speed is the speed entering a turn, the speed through a turn, and the speed exiting the turn; faster is better."

"So it's all just based on how fast you go past the judges, and who they think is the better showier driver?"

"Kind of, but they look for certain things. Overtaking the lead car under drift conditions almost always wins that pass. Overtaking the lead car under grip conditions automatically forfeits that pass. Spinning forfeits the pass unless the other driver also spins. Increasing the lead under drift conditions helps to win that pass. Maintaining a close gap while chasing under drift conditions helps to win that pass."

"Ok, this sounds complicated. I'll just watch and maybe you can point out what I'm supposed to look for."

"It just sounds complicated, you'll catch on."

Ben came out from under the hood then and closed it. He walked over to us while wiping his hands on a rag.

"So, you girls all ready to cheer me on to victory and watch me win tonight?"

"Just stay safe and qualify for the Tsuiso, and I'll be happy, baby," Angela said, and gave Ben a hug.

"Nothing like the confidence of the woman I love to boost my spirits."

"Hey, Ben, I've been meaning to ask you… You seem to know a lot about cars. Can you keep an eye out for a car for me? I have some money saved up, and my dad says that as long as I get good grades he'll go fifty-fifty to help me buy a car."

"What kind of car are you looking for, Bella?"

"I'm not too picky, something reliable that I don't have to fix all the time. Preferably a car that get's good gas mileage so it doesn't cost a fortune to drive to Port Angeles or Seattle. I want a front and back seat, and I can drive a stick, but beyond that I really don't care."

"Ok, that's a pretty broad classification, but I'll keep an eye out. I'll take a look at it for you too when you find something if you want my opinion as a mechanic."

"That'd be great, Ben, thanks'."

"You know, you should look on Craigslist, there's a ton of good cheap cars on there."

"Who is this Craig, and why does he have a list of cars for sale? Is he a used car dealer?"

Ben and Angela laughed. "No, Craigslist is a website on the internet where people list things for sale that they want to sell, and sometimes people advertise for things they want to buy. There are some real bargains and junk too that people are trying to unload so you have to be careful. I found a lot of used car parts on there when I was building my car. It's nice, because you can localize your search to things that are for sale close to where you live. Then you can go look at them in person before making a decision whether or not to buy."

"That sounds good. I'll have to take a look. I really didn't know how to start searching for a car to buy. I figured I'd buy a paper and look at the classifieds."

"Well, Craigslist is like the modern version of classifieds online."

"Ok, I'll check it out. Hey, Ange, I'm gonna take a walk and look around, ok?"

"Gonna go talk to Mike Newton?"

"Maybe… You think he's a nice guy, right?"

"Mike's ok."

"Just ok? Is there something I should know about him?"

"Mike's a guy. Go talk to him and find out. I'm not the great and powerful Oz, Bella. I don't know all and see all; I'm a seventeen year old girl with an interesting hobby. Go have fun, make some mistakes, and then fix them. It's the best we can do. Sorry if that's not very helpful, but you'll figure it out. You've got a good head on your shoulders. You're smart enough to decide what you want, and careful enough not to get into too much trouble."

"Thanks' Ange, I'll be back in a while. Don't leave without me, ok?"

"I'm not gonna ditch you, we're buds. Now go have fun."

Haley and Michaela had already gone off on their own to go look around and talk to people. I was curious to go talk to Mike some more. He seemed nice, he was kind of cute, and he definitely seemed interested in me. I wouldn't mind spending some time with him making some nice new healthy memories to replace the unhealthy fantasies that I'd had stuck in my head last night. I wasn't in any hurry to see if my birth control pills really worked or not, but it might be fun to try some other things out with him. It wasn't like I had any special feelings for him…Yet… I'd just met him today. I could talk to him and see how things went.

I wandered in the direction where I'd seen Mike working on his car. I was gratified to see that he was just closing the hood, but there were a couple of other guys there helping him. Mike was standing there wiping his hands on a rag talking with his friends when he looked up and saw me standing there watching him. He handed them the rag, and told them something, and then he was walking over to me.

"Hey, Bella, are you having a good time?"

"Hi, Mike, yeah, this is all new to me. I've never been to races like this before."

"Well, let's take a look around. Do you have any questions?"

Mike reached for my hand. I didn't pull away and let him hold my hand as we walked around looking at the cars.

"Angela tried to explain how the races work. I think I understand, but I guess I'll have to watch to see how it works."

"Drifting is kind of like driving a car around a corner on four wheels, the way motorcycles race on two wheels. Your front wheels are actually pointing in the opposite direction to the turn so if the car is turning left, your wheels are pointed right or vice versa, but you stay in control to drive the car. The guys that invented this sport were actually motorcycle racers that started driving in car races in Japan. Drifting lets you slide around the corners without having to slow down. The guys that came up with this technique won a lot of races before this really caught on and became a separate sport."

"That sounds dangerous. How do you stay in control if the front wheels are pointed in the wrong direction?"

We made our way up to the starting line. There were a couple of trucks up there, with lights mounted in the back. There was a chalk board there, and we went to stand by it. The order of the qualifier heats was listed and we stopped to take a look. Mikes name was near the end of the list.

"It takes practice. You need to be able to feel the car and how it reacts to your touch, so you stay in control. You know, a little give, a little take. Feeling the car around you and being sensitive to its needs." Mike slipped his arm around my waist as we stood looking at the list, and I let him rest his hand on my hip.

"Looks like you have some time before you make your run. What do you want to do now," I asked.

"Would you like a hot chocolate? Maybe we can go for a walk and talk, if you'd like?"

"Sure, that sounds good. Is there a concession stand here?" I hadn't seen anything in the buildings that looked like it was open or selling drinks.

"C'mon, I'll show you." Mike kept his hand on my hip, but I slid out of his arm, and took his hand again.

I think he liked holding me closer, but he was satisfied that I took his hand this time. He led me away from the immediate starting area toward one of the hangers. It was brightly lit, and there was a crowd of people. There were a couple of picnic tables set up, and then I saw a catering truck like you'd see at a job sight during the lunch hour. Mike stepped up to the window and ordered two hot chocolates. He paid for them, and then handed me one.

I held my chocolate with two hands and blew on it to cool it as I walked beside Mike. So far I hadn't had my characteristic new town accident yet, and it would be tempting fate to hold the cup with one hand and try to walk at the same time. I walked along with mike back down the edge of the staging area where the cars were parked, and listened as Mike pointed out the cars and what was unique and customized on each one. I asked some questions, and made what I hoped were intelligent comments, but I really didn't know much about cars beyond the basics of how to put in gas and drive them. That's why there were mechanics to take care of the rest of the details to keep them alive and running.

My chocolate was cool enough to drink now, and I sipped it as we walked and chatted. Mike knew a lot about cars and racing. He'd played football during the season past, but Forks hadn't made it into the playoffs. He was playing basketball now, and there were home games coming up next Friday and the following Monday. I told him if I had those nights off work, I'd go to the games. I'd gone to the sports games in Phoenix, and I knew enough about the games to know when to cheer. I confessed that I was no athlete, and was dangerously inept when it came to participating in sports. I groaned when I discovered that Washington required four years of Physical Education as a graduation requirement, and it was a daily class. I hadn't even been required to take P.E. as a junior in Phoenix, and it had only been three days a week when I'd taken it as a freshman and sophomore.

We were down to the far end of the pit area now, and there was a kind of commotion as the crowd got denser. There was more of an excited buzz in the air and more people milling around. Mike seemed a little disgusted at all the attention, and looked like he was ready to turn back the other way, but I was curious to see what was going on. Mike reached for me to turn us around and head back.

"Wait a minute, Mike, what's going on with the crowd up here?"

"It's nothing to get excited about. The Cullen's decided to show up after all. They weren't here earlier, and I'd hoped they weren't coming tonight for once."

"Really? I met Alice Cullen this morning after breakfast downtown at the Forks Coffee Shop. I've heard a lot about them. Do you think we could get a little closer so I can get a look at them? My dad and Angela told me a little bit about them."

"Yeah, I guess so," Mike said.

He didn't seem too enthusiastic about getting any closer, but he didn't want to tell me no either. He helped push through the crowd, and then I could see their cars. There were five roughly identical two-seater sports cars parked in a line, but they'd been individually customized and had different custom paint jobs.

"What kind of cars are those, Mike?" I asked as I looked over the cars.

"Those are all brand new customized 2006 Honda S2000 roadsters. They have a removable hard top to make them an open convertible when the weather is nicer. That's an awful lot of money parked out there, even before you figure in all the customization."

The first in line was bright golden yellow the same color that Alice's eyes were this morning, and had "Daddy's Girl" painted on the side of the door. The roll cage inside the passenger compartment looked like it was painted pink. The car next to it was bright red with all red and black interior. The third car in line looked a little drab compared to the rest. It was gray with some minor gold accents and a single gold star on the door. I did a double take, but realized there was a confederate flag painted on the trunk behind the passenger compartment. The fourth car in line looked more like a traditional racecar with a basic white paint job and a red M shaped racing stripe on the hood. It had a yellow number five painted on the door in the middle of a solid red circle. The last car in line was a kind of translucent royal blue lacquer that seemed to give off an ethereal glow effect. It had the words 'void walker' on the door in an elegant script.

There was a big four wheel drive jeep parked behind the cars, and it had a big enclosed trailer hitched to the back. The hood was open on the blue car, and someone, an obviously female someone was bent over making last minute adjustments.

"Well, they look really nice." I said, commenting on the cars. "How do they perform?"

"Just as good as they look. Huh, I wouldn't have pegged Cullen as the gamer type." Mike said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The blue car is Edward's new car. A void walker is a kind of demonic pet or servant that some characters have in the online game "World of Warcraft". I'm just surprised he's into that kind of thing enough to name his car that."

I still hadn't seen any of the Cullen's I knew yet, and then I heard Alice's voice.

"Ok, Rose, we're all good to go, I've got us all signed up. Are the car's ready?" Alice called as she walked out of the crowd and went over to the girl working under the hood of the blue car. Jasper was walking along beside her.

The girl under the hood of the blue car stood up and wiped her hands on a rag from her back pocket. Calling her drop dead gorgeous was an understatement and a disservice to her exquisite beauty. She was tall and statuesque, with an elegant figure like a magazine cover girl super model's or one of those sport-magazine-cover bikini models that made every girl that could see her take a hit on their self-esteem. She had long, blonde, wavy hair that went down to the middle of her back and she looked amazing even wiping engine grease off of her hands. I assumed she was Rosalie.

She fit in standing next Alice and Jasper. It looked like somebody was setting up a scene to snap pictures of customized drifting cars for a custom car magazine photo shoot and the models had just walked onto the set after coming out of makeup. I didn't think it could get any better, and then the other two Cullen's came walking out of the trailer to join the group.

I had to admit I was a little scared and intimidated by the bigger one. He was a huge dark-haired guy, standing at least six foot five as he walked up next to Jasper. He had broad shoulders and massive muscles like a serious body builder, but a round face with dimples, and curly dark brown hair, giving him a childlike look. He had a jovial air about him, like he loved to laugh, and he slapped the smaller guy with him on the back as he made some comment that made the rest of them all laugh. All of them except for the Greek god that walked beside him.

My heart literally stopped and skipped a beat and then raced all the faster as though to make up for the lapse as I stared at the final Cullen. He had to be the physical incarnation of the Greek god, Adonis, made flesh and blood. He was very pale and his facial features were perfect and angular - high cheekbones, a strong jaw line, and a straight nose and full lips. His hair was an unusual reddish brown bronze shade in a perfect messy disarray that made you just want to run your fingers through it. His eyes were a bright emerald green from where I was standing observing him from a distance. He stood six foot two, and was slender but muscular as I stared at his perfect body. He appeared more boyish than his two brothers who appeared a little older to me. He was wearing a light colored button down shirt, jeans and boots, and a leather jacket.

I had to take a couple of deep breaths to compose myself as I tried to calm down. I knew Mike could probably feel my palm sweating, and now my panties were more wet than damp as I felt that delicious curl wind tighter in my stomach. When I thought I could speak again without stuttering and make a coherent sentence come out of my mouth, I asked mike about the Cullen's.

"Mike, I know the blond has to be Rosalie, who are the other two guys? Angela said they were Edward and Emmett?"

"The big guy is Emmett. Coach Clapp was pissed off when he wouldn't go out for the football team, but he gave some bogus excuse, and said he couldn't pass the sports physical because of some weird condition that nobody had heard of before. The smaller one is Edward. Watch out for him, he's a real player. He's gone out with practically every girl in school that doesn't have a steady boyfriend. He's gone out with a lot of them too."

Edward turned to look in my direction when I spoke his name, as though he had heard me, but he was too far away to have heard me speak. Regardless, I felt his eyes on me boring into mine as he studied me in return. A range of emotions flashed across his perfect face. Curiosity, and then the same perplexed awe that Ben, Alice, and then Haley and Michaela had all shown in their expressions upon meeting me. It was quickly replaced with frustration, and then a smoldering look that spoke of raw undisguised lust. I probably wore the same expression on my face as I stared back into his bright green eyes. It surprised me that Edward would have that look on his face while staring at me when he was standing next to Rosalie.

Edward Cullen, the Greek god with the messy bronze hair that drove the translucent blue racecar. It was Edward's car that the blond super model had been working on when we walked up. It figured that they would be together. They looked like they were literally made for each other, like some perfect couple that had been created to show an example of the perfect man and the perfect woman for some display ad for condoms or sex toys that made you think about sex to sell the product.

Mike tugged on my hand to lead me away and I turned to follow him, tearing my eyes away from the spectacle of perfect people standing next to their beautiful expensive cars. It was like looking into another world or another reality that I could never fit into. It was almost painful to turn away and pry my eyes away from Edward's perfect face and perfect body, but I felt better as my reality flooded back into my scenes, and I left the unreality of the magazine set behind me.

"C'mon, Bella, the qualifying passes are gonna start. Lets head back down to the other end, and you'll have a better view of what's going on."

"Ok, Mike, but you'll have to explain what's happening so I can figure this out." I squeezed his hand and held it a little tighter, and he smiled wider as we made our way back through the maze of cars and people.

We found a spot that had a good view of where the judges would score the runs, and Mike leaned back against the fender of the truck we were standing next to. He guided me to stand in front of him, and then wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back to lean against him with his hands on my hips. I was still feeling kind of horny and disoriented from seeing the Cullen's for the first time, so I didn't complain and let him hold me in his strong arms. I had to admit, it felt kind of nice as he traced patterns on the pockets of my jeans and the fronts of my thighs with his fingers. I could feel the bulge in Mike's jeans pressing into my back side, and wondered what it would feel like if I was bold enough to touch it with my hands.

I wasn't bold enough tonight to truly entertain the possibility, but I felt a little thrill when Mike leaned down and spoke into my ear to describe what I was watching. It was exciting and looked dangerous as the cars sped down the track, and then seemed to float around the corner without slowing down in a cloud of smoke and the squeal of protesting tires. A couple of cars spun out, and Mike said that they were disqualified, and out of the running. Once they had to stop the races when a car went off the pavement and rolled when the tires hit the soft dirt off the track. There was a break while a wrecker came out to haul the car out of the way, but at least the driver wasn't hurt.

"I have to go get ready for my qualifier run, Bella," Mike spoke into my ear, and I felt a thrill when kissed the shell of my ear and gave me a little squeeze with his arms around my waist. Then I was stepping out of the way so he could go to his car.

"Be careful, Mike… I'll be waiting here. Good luck." I told him as he smiled at me and walked away.

"So things seem to be working out between you and Mike," Angela said next to me, and I jumped startled out of my reverie.

I hadn't even noticed that Angela, Haley, and Michaela were standing next to me watching the qualifying round. They were standing there now watching me, grinning at my startled expression. Mike's friend Dean was there standing with his arm around Michaela's shoulders, and he had a smile on his face too.

"Yeah, Mike is nice, but I'm not really looking for a boyfriend right now…"

"Hmm… Could have fooled me," Haley commented.

Maybe she was right. I was acting like somebody who was looking for a relationship. I didn't want Mike to get the wrong impression. I thought he was nice, and I knew I'd go out with him if he asked me out on a date, but I didn't want a boyfriend or to be tied down to a relationship right now. I was going to have to make sure he knew how I felt. Sure, I wanted to have some fun, but I didn't want commitments, and I was going to be leaving here in nine months. I didn't intend to leave any broken hearts behind me if I could avoid it.

"I wouldn't mind going out with him if he asked me out on a date, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now…"

"Well, you better make sure he knows that, 'cause you sure seem to be sending that 'I like you' message to him." Michaela said. "Are you sure you really know what you want?"

I blushed because I had a pretty good idea what my body was telling me I wanted. Heck, I knew what my body wanted from the tight curl in the pit of stomach and the way the desire pool in my panties, and made me feel hot and flushed despite the forty degree weather, but I so wasn't ready to go there yet.

"Yeah, I have a pretty good idea that I know what my body wants, but that doesn't mean my brain is gonna let myself get away with it. I came to live with my dad until graduation, and then I'm going to college. I'm sure this is a great little town, but I'm not getting stuck in Forks like my dad did. I'm sure I'll probably date some guys while I live here, but I'm not making any commitments or getting tied down in any relationships."

Was that really a lie? It didn't sound like such a bad plan. Charlie was cooler than Renee had led me to believe or I had ever let myself see. I still had the option of running in nine months, but it would be easier to get into a good college with a diploma than a GED. Maybe if Forks wasn't so bad I really would stay until graduation. Of course I hadn't even been to the school yet, but maybe I'd give it some time and see how things worked out…

"Amen to that sister," Michaela said. "I hear you. You and me both, come graduation I am so out of here. College first and then the real life starts. Doesn't mean we can't have some fun on the way," She hugged Dean a little tighter around the waist. He chuckled and leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"So, girls just want to have fun…?" Dean questioned with a smirk.

"Yeah… Come here fun…" and Michaela pulled herself against Dean and kissed him as his arms wrapped around her.

I blushed and had to turn away. I was feeling uncomfortably excited and watched the races to try and get my mind away from such thoughts.

Angela had been ignoring us, and then I saw why. Ben made his run down the track, and did pretty good in my inexpert opinion. Mike followed him down the track on the next speed run, and did at least as well as his silver and blue Nissan 350Z flashed around the corner in a cloud of smoke and squealing tires.

Edward Cullen made the next speed run, and the little Honda S2000 seemed to flash down the track more gracefully than the cars before it. The car drifted around the corner with precision, and accelerated through the turn, exiting faster than it had come in. I hadn't seen any of the tandem passes yet, but this looked exactly like what Angela had described as the condition for an automatic win or easy victory.

I followed Angela over to the leader board to take a look at the standings. It looked like Mike and Ben were both going to make it into the finals. Most of the Cullen's had qualified too. Alice hadn't made her run yet, but if she drove like Edward, she'd bump a bunch of drivers a notch lower and knock the low man off the list.

We walked back to the staging area. Pit row I supposed as drivers and the friends made adjustments to their cars, changed tires, and swapped stories about their qualifier runs. Angela went to Ben and wrapped him in her arms and kissed him. I looked over at Mike, standing by his car, and I felt a little guilty about how I had acted tonight. Mike was nice, but I was sending him signals, and my body was moving faster than my head wanted to. I didn't want to slam on the breaks, but I had to be clear with him and let him know how I felt so he wouldn't get the wrong impression. I walked back over to talk to Mike.

"Hey, Bella," Mike said and smiled at me. I think he could read the apprehension in my expression. He reached for my hand, but I put my hands in my pockets before he could capture it.

"Hey, Mike… Mike, we need to talk…" I needed to tell him I was sorry for giving him the wrong impression, but I really hadn't. I liked him, and we could have fun together, but I didn't want a boyfriend… I didn't want him to think I was a tease. I wanted to have fun, but I didn't want to be tied down. I didn't want him to think I was some kind of slut and easy… This was so much harder than I thought it would be…

"I want to talk to you too, Bella," Mike said. "C'mon, let's walk." I let him lead and I walked beside him with my hands in my pockets.

We walked back by the hanger where he'd bought me hot chocolate earlier, but we avoided the crowd. We walked out of the light beside the building, and we had some privacy in the shadows between the hangers. Mike stopped and looked at me, and gave me some space so I felt comfortable.

"We seemed to be getting along pretty good tonight…" Mike began.

"I'm sorry Mike, I wanted…"

"I know, Bella, I guess I came on pretty strong tonight, and was moving too fast. I don't want to pressure you…" Mike smiled at me.

"Umm… Yeah, but I liked it… I just don't usually act like this…"

"I like you, Bella, and I'd like to spend more time with you…"

"Mike, there's a couple of things I need to say up front, and then we can go on from there, OK?"

"Sure, Bella…"

"Ok, I know I'm gonna date some guys while I live here in Forks, and I think I like you, but I'm not looking for a steady boyfriend. I'm just staying here until graduation, and then I'm going to college somewhere else. Hopefully somewhere sunny and dry. I want to have some fun while I live here, but I don't want to be tied down or make any commitments. Just because I spend some time with you doesn't mean I won't go out with somebody else too, if I get asked out and I want to go. I just want you to know that up front, so you don't think I'm some kind of tease, or that you have any kind of claim on me. We can be friends, and see where things go, but I set my own limits."

"Ok, Bella, I'd like to be your friend."

"Thanks' Mike…"

"So, you said you date… Do you want to go to the Lodge New Years Eve party with me tomorrow night? The lodge is sponsoring it, but they're holding it at the gym at the high school. It's a pretty big event, and half the town will probably be there. We could go to dinner first."

"That sounds like fun, but that brings us to the second thing…"

"Ok, so what's the catch?"

"I kinda promised my dad that he would get to meet anyone I go out with before I date them."

"Umm… I've met your dad before…"

"Yeah, well that was before you asked his daughter to go on a date. You're gonna have to talk to Charlie before we go out…"

Mike blanched a little at the thought and then seemed to stand a little taller.

"Ok, your dad is a fair man. I can talk to him. It's worth it. Can I pick you up at seven for dinner, and then we'll go to the party after?"

"Ok, Mike. It's a date. Come a little early to talk to Charlie."

"C'mon, I think they're starting the Tsuiso. Let's go watch the races…" and he held out his hand.

I took my hand out of my pocket and held his hand as we walked back to the spot where we'd been standing before. I didn't let him hold me like he had before, but I didn't complain when he put his arm around me and I leaned into his side with his arm around my shoulder.

Mike had to leave again to make his tandem passes, and he did pretty well. Ben and Mike both made it into the second round after the first set of eight heats. Four of the Cullen's won the second round of four heats. I was a little surprised to see little Alice race against Edward in the final, but Edward ended up winning. Nobody seemed surprised.

"Wow," I said after the finish. "The Cullen's are all pretty good drivers…"

"Yeah, they're pretty good…" Mike said a little grudgingly. "I suppose they have more experience than the rest of us, they kind of got this whole thing going when they moved here. We were just street racing and cruising until they got the drifting bug planted. Probably would have just been a fad if they hadn't bank rolled this whole setup…"

"So has Edward won before?"

"Edward always wins. Well, I suppose that's not completely accurate. Alice wins sometimes, and Rosalie won once. The rest of us bet on our position in the top eight because the top four are always Cullen's."

The crowd was starting to clear out, so Mike walked me back to Angela's car. Angela was kissing Ben good night. Haley was getting into the back seat. I didn't see Michaela anywhere in sight.

"Well, Good night, Mike, I had fun tonight."

"I had fun tonight to, Bella. I'm glad we talked. I'll see you tomorrow night. Ok?"

"Seven o'clock, but come early to talk to Charlie…"

Mike nodded, and closed my door for me. Angela got into the driver seat and started the car. She looked around at the crowd, and then merged into the traffic heading for the road back to Forks.

"Isn't Michaela riding home with us?" I asked. She hadn't come back to the car, and it didn't look like we were waiting for her.

"Michaela is getting a ride home with Dean. They already left." Haley said

"So is Dean Michaela's boyfriend?" I asked. They had seemed awfully friendly tonight.

"Is Mike your boyfriend?" Haley asked with a grin on her face.

"I just met him today, Haley. We're just friends. Besides, I'm not really looking for a boyfriend…"

"Uh huh, right. Well Dean is Michaela's 'friend'. You might say they're friends with benefits. It's a real intimate friendship, you might say..."

"Ok, eww. Too much information, Haley..."

"Hey, you asked, and Michaela said you were on the pill…"

"Still got my V card here…"

"Yeah, well so do I, but that doesn't mean I don't know what goes on around me."

"Ok, moving on now… Angela, why is it every time I meet someone that knows about magick, they get this kind of awestruck look on their face when they really look at me? It's like they can see something special, but everybody just looks the same as they always have to me. What are you guys seeing that makes you think there's something special about me?"

"Wow, that is so weird. You really are a completely untrained natural talent aren't you?" Haley said. "You can't see anything? That's the very first thing any of us learned. Sara even had a bit of a knack for it before Ange started training her."

"Well, I saw through a glamour that this guy in Phoenix was using, but I didn't realize it until Angela explained what happened. Does that count?"

"You did?" Haley asked, sounding surprised.

"Not really, Bella." Angela continued, ignoring Haley's comment. "That was just the natural power that you radiate blowing away the magick so you could see the truth underlying it. The first technique that we all learn is sight. It's a technique for focusing your mind and training your eyes to observe more of the mystical world that surrounds us. It allows you to view the energy of people, creatures, and objects in both the physical and mystical world and the connections and paths of that energy. Sometimes we can even view the auras that they radiate. It's most useful to us in the ritual setting, but your aura is so bright that all of us can see it standing out like a beacon when we concentrate on you. With practice and training, you'll learn to become more aware of the mystical world around us so you can learn to have an effect on reality and work with the energy in your aura and the world around us."

"Ok, that sounds complicated. How do I learn to do that?"

"It's not really that difficult, once you get the hang of it. Come over to my house tomorrow morning, and we'll start practicing. Ok? Can you come over tomorrow morning, too, Haley? It'll help if we can do some simple work, and show Bella what to look for so she can follow along."

"Ok, sounds good to me, I'm curious to see what all the fuss is about. What time should I come over?"

"Sure, no problem, Ange," Haley said. "It'll be fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Bella can do once we start her training."

"Good, How about nine o'clock? The house should be empty by then. My parents and brothers will be at church, and they should be gone most of the day, up at the parish center. They won't be home until after dinner so we should have the house all to ourselves most of the day."

"Won't Ben be upset, if you're busy all day tomorrow?" Haley asked with a grin. "I thought Sunday mornings were your 'special alone time', you know, for the 'deeper more meaningful' part of your relationship?"

Angela blushed. "I'll worry about taking care of Ben, you two just be there at nine. There'll be time for me and Ben, but we need to help Bella too, and I'm sure you're curious by now. No sense in putting this off. Once you have some basics down, you can practice on her own if you like, but we'll all do what we can to help you, and I'll answer all the questions I can."

I was quiet for the rest of the ride home, lost in thought. So much had changed in a couple of days, so many new things and new experiences. This magick thing that Angela and my new friends shared was fantastic and amazing but it scared me a little. I hoped I would be able to move past the fear and embrace it with an open mind.

There were so many new people in my life now.

Charlie was great, and that really surprised me. Renee had always given me the impression that he was a real ogre and hard ass. Nothing that I had experienced in my previous brief encounters with my father had done anything to dispel that pre-conceived notion that Renee had given me. Living with Charlie even though it was for a shorter period than my previous vacations with him had cast him in a totally different light, and I knew he loved me and cared about me regardless of what he let the rest of the world see.

Angela had become friends with me almost immediately upon my arrival here, and had shared her circle of friends and included me in her intimate inner circle without hesitation or reservation. It felt like we had been close friends for years, and not just two days.

Then, of course there were the boys. I hadn't been oblivious to boys back in Phoenix. I had dated, although very infrequently, but I had never attracted the attention of boys in Phoenix the way that I apparently did in Forks. It was another new experience for me, and to be honest, it gave me a bit of a thrill to know that I had that affect on them.

Before, I had always been the one to stare with longing, and wonder if they thought I was pretty, or if they even noticed me. They were noticing now, and I liked the feeling. I had a date tomorrow night with a cute guy, and I liked that. I wanted to have some fun, but I didn't want to get tied down in a relationship right now, and it would be a fine line to walk, but it was worth a shot.

Other guys had noticed me too. I saw how Tyler had been checking me out at the grocery store and later at the drive-in. Mike's friends Tanner and Dean had given me that look over too, and I knew they approved of what they saw. Edward Cullen had stared back into my eyes with undisguised lust plain on his face… I felt a little chill at that thought.

Angela was convinced that there was a group of vampires living in or near forks. I had met a vampire before. I had been seduced by a vampire before, and only luck and some unique power that I possessed had prevented that encounter from turning tragic.

Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale had eyes just like James, but they were part of a larger family… All of them were breathtakingly beautiful. I knew that they had to be the group of vampires that Angela was searching for, but I didn't know why I didn't share this information with her… Little Alice had seemed so distraught when I mentioned her eyes at breakfast. I knew what she probably was, but she had seemed so vulnerable, and I didn't want to hurt her. She had said that we would be friends, and I wanted to believe that.

Angela thought that they were good vampires because they didn't kill humans. I wanted to believe that too, but that didn't mean I wouldn't take precautions. Angela had said that my natural abilities had allowed me to escape from James by breaking his compulsion. I would have to make sure that Angela showed me what I had done, so that wouldn't happen again. I would be friends with Alice, and maybe her family too, but I would learn how to protect my mind first.

**Author's Note:**

Why do you write "magick", instead of "magic"? The difference comes from the RPG Mage: The Ascension.

**Magic** refers to stage tricks, sleight of hand, and 'faking it' to make people think you're doing something special.

**Magick** is used by the awakened few who are skilled at altering reality.


	5. Chapter 5 Magick

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 5 Magick

Charlie was already gone when I got up on Sunday morning. I showered and ran through my morning routine. I dressed casually much as I had yesterday, and went downstairs to the kitchen. I found Charlie's note on the message board by the phone. Charlie wasn't a church going man, and performed his weekly worship on the banks of a river, fishing pole in hand. More often if he could fit it into his schedule.

I looked at the clock on the back of the stove, and then grabbed a pop tart and a cup of coffee. Charlie wouldn't be home until later this afternoon. I scribbled a note of my own letting him know where I was if he came looking for me, and let myself out of the house to walk down the block to Angela's house. Ben's Toyota was parked in the driveway, and Haley's car was parked in the street next to the curb.

I was a little apprehensive as I approached the gate, but I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary this time. I reached out and tentatively pushed at the gate with my fingertip, but it was just a gate, and there was no shock this time. I took a deep breath and pushed the gate open. It creaked a little on the hinges, but simply swung open so I walked through, and closed behind me when I was on the other side. I sighed with relief as I walked to the porch, up the steps, and knocked on the door.

Angela answered the door almost as soon as I knocked, and let me in. "Good morning, Bella, ready to get started?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, let's do this…" I really wasn't sure what to expect as I followed her into the family room.

Haley and Michaela were seated on the couch, and Ben was waiting for Angela on the love seat. Haley scooted over and made room so I could sit at the end of the couch in the center of the group next to the corner table. I noticed there were several books set on the table as they greeted me, but they seemed ordinary enough.

"Ok, this first exercise might seem a little mundane and ordinary, but we've all found it to be a good training method to help prepare you to relax your eyes to see more than you normally would. Have you ever viewed 3D stereogram pictures? Sometimes people call them magic eye pictures…"

"No, I've never heard of them…" Angela picked up one of the books and handed it to me.

There was a strange kind of abstract print on the cover of the book. It was a kind of repeating pattern, as though a single strip of an image had been pasted together to make a larger finished picture. I flipped through the book, and the pages were filled with similar weird abstract images.

"Each of these pictures contains a hidden 3D image that you can learn to see, when you've trained your eyes how to view them properly."

"Ok, that sounds difficult. How am I supposed to try and see the hidden image?"

"Your eyes have been trained to see the reality of what's immediately apparent right in front of your face. Your eyes focus on the picture on the page in front of you. The hidden image in the picture will pop out in 3D when you aren't actually trying to see the picture itself, but when you let your eyes relax, and are looking through the picture. You have to focus behind the picture, and then your brain can sort out the design to let you see the hidden 3D picture."

"Magick works in much the same way. You won't see it looking at things the way they exist in static reality. When you look beyond reality and see the big picture, then your brain can include the mystical component and with some training start to put together what's really happening."

"Right, focus past the image. You're saying I need to see the forest for the trees, like looking into the distance while keeping the picture in my field of view?"

"Exactly, here," and Angela flipped the pages of the book to one in the front. "Here's an exercise to help you learn to relax your eyes and look through the image. See the two dots above the image? Relax your eyes and look through the picture. Think x-ray vision like you're trying to see the wall behind the picture. Sometimes it helps to move the picture close to your face, and then slowly move it away. When your eyes are relaxed and looking at the picture independently, you'll see two sets of dots, or four dots. Move the picture until the sets of dots overlap so you see three dots. When you can see three dots, the image should pop out so you can see the hidden 3D picture."

I did what she said, and moved the picture book close to my face so my nose was practically touching it, then slowly moving it away, the dots started to shift. I was surprised how easily the dots fell into place until there were three dots above the picture. The abstract design seemed to flow and dance as the focus of my eyes changed, and then there was a five pointed star standing out in 3D relief in the middle of the abstract design. I gave a startled little gasp, but then my focus snapped back, and I was just looking at a flat abstract design on the page again.

"I saw a star in the middle of the picture, but then it disappeared and I was just looking at the page again."

"It takes practice, but it get's easier the more you do it. Go ahead and look through these books at the pictures. All of us can just flip through the pages and see the 3D images without even actually concentrating on them anymore."

We spent the early part of the morning like that, sitting around in Angela's family room looking through the magic eye books. It did get easier with practice, and soon I could flip to a page, kind of let my eyes go out of focus, and the 3D image would stand out for me to look at. It was fun hanging out getting to know everyone. They all had their favorite pictures for me to look at.

I was feeling pretty confident in my new found ability to see these hidden pictures. Angela had gotten up for a minute and then she came back. She handed me a small laminated business sized card. There was one of the magic eye abstract prints on one side, and the two dots on the other.

"You can keep this with you and carry it in your pocket or wallet. If you're out someplace and you need something to help you focus, you can take a look at this, and it'll help you to see. If you think you're ready, we can go downstairs and work on the next exercise."

"Ok, if you think I'm ready…"

"Only you can know when you're ready, Bella, but you're showing a remarkable aptitude with the pictures, so maybe you're ready try and practice this next skill."

I nodded and followed Angela into the kitchen. She touched the wall between the end of the counter and the garage door. The wall seemed to shimmer and flow for a minute, and then there was another doorway next to the garage door.

"The rest of my family doesn't even know that this house has a basement, that's part of the reason my grandfather built the family room. I think my father used to know that there was a basement, but he doesn't remember anymore. My grandfather placed this glamour to hide the doorway many years ago. As far as my family is concerned this is just another wall." Angela took out a key and unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Once we go downstairs and close the door, the illusion will fall back into place to hide the doorway, but you'll be able to open it from the other side if you have too, as long as there's nobody in this room."

I nodded and Angela stepped through the door and went down the stairs. I didn't see her flip a switch or do anything in fact besides walk down the stairs, but the room below grew brighter as we approached the bottom of the stairs. We stepped into a large high ceilinged room. I didn't see light fixtures, but a soft luminous glow appeared to envelop and radiate from the ceiling. There were a couple of long tables along the walls, a couple of comfortable looking chairs, and a large book shelf. There were several doorways hung with curtains leading out of the room.

The standout feature that caught my eye, though, was the design painted on the floor. It was a large design that covered most of the open floor space comprised of three large concentric circles. Mystical symbols were inscribed inside and around the circle. There was a triangle inscribed outside the circle at what appeared to be the top. Four candles in stands stood at four points around the circle in candle stands. Angela took my hand, and we walked into the center of the circle. The rest of the group followed us.

"This is so cool," I said with a little awe in my voice. "I figured we'd go to your bedroom after what I saw in there the other night."

"I keep some simple props in there, because my father thinks I practice witchcraft. It helps maintain the illusion for him. It's really not a good idea to work where you sleep though, unless you're very careful about grounding all of the energies that you work with. It can cause problems if you're not careful. A lot of teenage girls that practice Wicca have problems like that, because they have no place safe to work besides their bedrooms."

"So you don't actually work with magick in your bedroom? What about the things you showed me yesterday, is that safe?"

"Oh, I make magic in the bedroom," Ben and the girls chuckled. I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks. "You just have to be very careful. The simple spells I cast yesterday dissipated, and I made sure all the energies were balanced and grounded before we left."

"Ok, so what are we doing now?"

"We'll begin by casting a circle to create a place to work. Casting a circle is not something that is unique to Witchcraft, although they are the most public of modern practitioners of the mystical arts. Casting a circle is an ancient practice that finds its roots in almost all faiths and traditions. The circle is a representation of many things, but in this case, we are creating a barrier between our magickal workings and the influences around us. More importantly, we are protecting ourselves from doubtful or harmful influences and energies that might render our magickal workings useless or corrupt the energy that we work with."

"There are many ways to actually cast a circle. However, there are a few common threads to all of them. Most involve walking the perimeter of the circle while envisioning blue flame or any other kind of energy that you're comfortable with actually forming the barrier between what is in the circle and what is not. This is often coupled with a physical representation of the barrier, such as a rope, chalk, stones, salt, etc. In this case, the circle is actually painted on the floor. When creating a circle, it is important to always move in a clockwise or deosil direction. The clockwise movement is important, because it is representative of invoking, or creative energy. Some also call this moving 'sunwise', or with the sun. Moving in a counterclockwise or widdershins direction while casting or within a magick circle is very disruptive to any magickal working you are trying to do. There are some rituals and circumstances where it is appropriate to move widdershins, but for the most part, it's not recommended."

"Now, try and follow what I'm doing as I begin. Haley, hand me the athame," Angela took the double bladed dagger from her and walked around the edge of the circle pointing it at the outside line painted on the floor. I felt the hair on my arms stand on end and the tingling sensation in my scalp as a chill ran down my spine, and I thought I could see a faint ray of energy extending out of the tip of the dagger connected to the circle on the floor like a visible blue laser pointer.

On the first pass around the circle, Angela intoned an incantation,

_In this place, this circle round  
I consecrate the sacred ground  
with golden light this space surround  
all power here contained and bound._

She shifted the dagger to point at the second circle painted on the floor on the second pass and continued the incantation,

_From earth, the things that manifest  
from air, the things of mind  
from fire, the things that motivate  
from water, the souls refined._

She shifted the dagger to point at the third circle painted on the floor on the third pass around the circle and continued the incantation,

_And yet no place or time there be  
between the worlds, my word and me  
welcome, Ancient Ones, and see  
this place is sealed, so mote it be!_

"As above, so below - this circle is sealed. So mote it be!" and Angela stomped her foot.

"When you visualize your circle forming, think of it as a bubble, or sphere, around you and the area you are working in, rather than a flat circle. The words "as above, so below" are used by many traditions, and apply here as well. The circle is above you, below you and all around you while you work. Stomping your foot signifies that the circle is active."

"The circle is cast, Haley, would start us off calling the quarters?"

Haley stepped over to the candle stand on the right side of the circle, drew a five pointed star, a pentacle I supposed, in the air with what looked like a wand, and recited, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers to the east! Those who dwell in the Air! I summon, stir and call you forth to witness these rites!"

She passed her hand over the candle and the wick lit with a clear bright flame. Ben struck a small gong, letting the tone resonate for a few moments, and then the candle flame danced as a gentle breeze blew through the room. She smiled and stepped back to the group in the center.

Michaela stepped to the next candle stand moving around the circle in a deosil fashion, approach the southern quarter. She drew the invoking pentacle in the air facing south, and recited, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers to the south! Those who dwell in the Fire! I summon, stir and call you forth to witness these rites!"

Ben struck the small gong, letting the tone resonate for a few moments, and then the candle in the candle stand flared bright as the candle spontaneously lit. She smiled and stepped back to the group in the center.

Haley stepped over to the candle stand on the left side of the circle, and repeated the same process as before, facing to the west, and recited, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers to the west! Those who dwell in the Water! I summon, stir and call you forth to witness these rites!"

Haley passed her hand over the candle and the wick lit with a clear bright flame. Ben struck a small gong, letting the tone resonate for a few moments, and then the candle flame dimmed and flickered. The room seemed damper and I could feel moisture in the air. Haley smiled and stepped back to the group in the center and Ben handed her the small gong.

Ben stepped up to the candle stand at the top of the circle, and repeated the same process as the girls, facing to the north, and recited, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers to the north! Those who dwell in the Earth! I summon, stir and call you forth to witness these rites!"

Ben passed his hand over the candle and the wick lit with a clear bright flame. Haley struck a small gong, letting the tone resonate for a few moments, and then it felt like a slight tremor vibrated through the ground under our feet and the candle flame flickered and jumped. Ben smiled and stepped back to the group in the center and Haley handed him back the small gong.

Angela was standing in the center of the circle. She drew the invoking pentacle in the air, and recited, "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the center! Those who dwell in the Spirit! I summon, stir and call you forth to witness these rites!"

Angela turned and smiled at me. "Ok, now were ready to begin. Please stay inside the circle until we release the quarters and open the circle, otherwise it can cause problems. Calling the quarters is in fact a separate exercise from actually casting the circle. However, it is almost always done immediately after casting a circle."

"There are many ways to call the quarters, and there are as many different names that the process is known by. "Calling the Quarters" might be called "Summoning the Guardians" by one group, and yet something else by another. No matter what the practice is called, it is virtually the same for all traditions."

I was a little overwhelmed by all of this, but I was still curious. "What is accomplished by calling the quarters?" I asked Angela.

"Well, you are inviting the basic elemental energies of the universe into your circle to aid in your spell work, keep your ritual safe from outside influence, and to keep you safe. The common thread between all quarter calls is that they all call upon the basic magickal elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Additionally, each element is linked to one particular cardinal direction. East is the element of Air, South is the element of Fire, West is Water, and North is Earth. The element of Spirit is found in the Center of our circle."

"Ok, maybe I should have brought a notebook to take notes on all of this. It just seems like there's so much to remember."

"Don't worry, we'll help you start a Book of Shadows. Basically a journal you'll use to record rituals, spells, and their results, as well as other magical information. Book of Shadows is the term that we use to describe a personal journal rather than a traditional text, although some have been published in the past. We consider this to be an individual project in our group and it's not formally passed from teacher to student, but there are some sections on the basics that we can let you copy if you like. Besides, you'll most likely participate with us many times before you ever try any of this on your own."

"Alright, so what's next?"

"So far all of this has just been preparation. The next step is to see if we can help you align your energy so you become more attuned to the flow of energy around you. You need to learn to view the auras of people, creatures, and objects in the physical and align your energy to see the mystical world and the energy that they radiate. Once you get the hang of it you'll be able to see the connections and paths of that energy so you can manipulate it."

"Ok, what do I do?"

"Just trust me…" Angela stepped behind me, and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Ok, stay facing north, and take a couple of steps forward."

I did as she said, and was standing a couple of steps closer to the north candle stand.

"Ok, Will you give me permission to put you into a light trance? You'll continue to be aware of everything that happens. Nothing bad will happen to you and nothing will happen against your will. This will help you set your lights and help attune your sight to the see the energy patterns."

"Yes, I trust you Angela…" I felt her finger tips gently massage my temples, and I felt like I was floating and the room blurred a little.

"Now just lean back, Bella, don't be afraid. I won't let you fall."

Angela's hands were under my shoulders and I was leaning back. I kept going back farther and farther… Was she going to have me lay on the floor? My feet were off of the floor now, and I wasn't on the ground… There hadn't been a bed or a couch, but I felt soft support holding me up. I felt like I was lying flat just floating in the air… Wasn't that impossible? But I had seen the pencil yesterday… I pushed the thought away, Angela was speaking again…

"Ok, Bella, just stay relaxed… I'm going to lower the lights in a minute while you lie here where you feel most relaxed. The room won't be completely dark. You'll be able to see the candle light from the quarters."

The room slowly dimmed until only the soft glow coming from the four candles was visible.

"Bella can you still hear me?" Angela asked.

"Yes…" My voice sounded far away and I felt so relaxed…

"Ok, Bella, I want you to hold your hands straight out in front of you. Don't stare hard, just gaze gently and try to let your eyes focus in the distance, past your hands like we practiced this morning. Your hands will be out of focus but still visible. You're trying to view your aura. At first your aura may not appear as a bright light. It's common to see it more as a haze at first."

I extended my arms out in front of me and let my eyes fall out of focus as I stared into the distance. Angela was right, my hands were bathed in a soft hazy glow.

"I can see the glow…" My voice said from far away…

"Excellent, now extend your two pointer fingers and very slowly move your hands towards each other so your fingertips are almost touching. The aura should appear as lines of blue and red light between the two barely touching fingertips."

"Yes, I see the lines… I can see the colors… They're a combination of a light tan color with a light blue next to it…

"Very good, Bella, this is amazing progress. Now I want to try this with all ten fingertips barely touching. Slowly draw your hands apart, and you should see slight streams of energy connecting each finger. Encourage your mind to visualize the energy increasing as you move your fingertips together and apart, back and forth as you bring your fingers tantalizingly close together, but not quite touching. This should increase and energize the auric flow."

"I can see the lines…" My voice said but it sounded closer, not so far away…

"Excellent, now I want you to focus on the energy. Let you mind embrace it and feel it flow from your fingertips. Let the energy become sharper as it comes into focus. You should feel the trance slipping away. You're closer and you can see the light…"

My mind was becoming sharper and I could feel the light trance and relaxation slipping away, but I could still see the light stretching between my fingertips. The room was getting brighter, but it wasn't coming from the ceiling. I could see light radiating from my hands and arms. I looked down at my body and light was radiating from my body. It was like a bright luminous glow that was bright enough to hurt my eyes if I stared for too long. The band closest to my body was an indigo blue verging on violet, but that was surrounded with a golden tan with flecks of orange that glowed bright enough to hurt and make me look away.

I looked around the room with new eyes and took in the scene with a new understanding. I was floating in the center of the circle, but a delicate tracery of blue threads that extended from the floor to cradle my body held me suspended in midair. Angela was standing at my head with her hands gently holding my aura but not touching my body, while Ben was doing the same at my feet. Haley stood on the right of the circle, and Michaela was on the left. Their hands were out stretched like they were supporting me with their fingertips, but their fingertips were barely touching my aura, and their eyes were closed as they concentrated.

The circle was a translucent blue hemisphere that surrounded us, and I assumed it continued into the earth beneath us form a perfect orb of energy around us. Tendrils of energy slowly rose from the four candle stands and fed a flow of energy into the sphere as it slowly turned around us. Random tendrils of energy flowed into the room, as though drawn by the energy of the working being performed with in the sphere, but they were either absorbed by the translucent blue energy field, or were deflected away. I saw a dark bolt of energy, like a shadow that had escaped the object that cast it dart and crash into the sphere, and the blue orb of energy darkened for a second. Then the darkness was thrown back and fled back into the shadows.

"How are you feeling now, Bella?" Angela asked.

I looked up at her, and she was bathed in bright violet light that was stronger around her head and chest. Her light was very bright, but I was surprised that my own light seemed to be brighter and stronger than Angela's.

"Can you still see the light, Bella?" She asked.

"Yes… This is amazing! I can see everything. I can see how it all works…" and I could. I could see all the patterns of energy and how they interacted and wove together… "What did we do, Angela?"

"Here, let me help you up and I'll try to explain."

I felt Angela gently shift the flow of energy, and my head and shoulders were pushed upward by the tracery of blue threads, and I pivoted at the hips so my legs and feet were lowered to the ground. Haley, Michaela, and Ben stepped back, and the tracery of blue threads held me until I was standing, and then flowed away and into the floor.

Each of the other three stepped back to stand in front of one of the candle stands at the edge of the circle, and seemed lost in meditation as I looked around the circle. None of the other three had auras that were as bright as Angela's, but they were clear and strong and readily apparent to me. Haley's light was a deep tan-colored band layered with a forest-green-colored band. Michaela's aura looked like mine except it was only as bright as Haley's and maybe even a little dimmer. It was a combination of a light tan color with a light blue band next to it that encircled her body. Her aura appeared to also have a strong red component, although it seemed to emanate from her body and didn't seem to overlay her aura as I had noticed to red in mine did. Ben's aura was at least as strong as Haley's, but was a mixture of red and blue.

Angela walked to me and took me in her arms and gave me a hug, "You look so much better now. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine… I feel just like I did before we started, but everything is so different. What did you do, Angela?"

"I didn't do anything, you did."

"I did? What did I do?"

"It's what we refer to as setting your lights. You always had this ability, but now we've let your brain know that it's alright to use it again. I just help set the sensitive part of your mind loose to process the signals you were already getting. This should allow you to see your own aura, and start to sense others. In time you should be able to sense the flow of energy when we manipulate energy to work with magick…"

What was Angela talking about? I could already do all of that, but she was talking like it would be difficult and take a long time…

"Wait, wait, wait! Ange, what are you saying? I can do all of that… What exactly do you think I should be seeing now? How much is normal?"

"How much can you see, Bella? Describe something to me…"

"Well, I can see my aura… It's like a bright luminous glow that's bright enough to hurt my eyes if I look for too long. The band closest to my body is an indigo blue verging on violet, but that's surrounded with a golden tan with flecks of orange that glows bright enough to hurt my eyes and make me look away. You look like you're bathed in bright violet light that's stronger around her head and chest. Your light is very bright, but I was surprised that my own light seems to be brighter and stronger than yours." Angela had the awestruck look on her face that everyone else had worn when they met me yesterday.

"Go on… What else can you see?"

I went on and described Haley, Michaela, and Ben's auras, the tracery of blue threads that had held me suspended in midair, how the circle appeared as a translucent blue sphere, how I had witnessed it deflecting random disruptive energy, the connections I saw and how things were linked and worked together. To say that Angela was amazed was complete understatement.

"Bella, I've been studying for ten years, and I can't begin to see a fraction of what you describe… I knew you were special. I could see the potential… You radiate more raw power than I do with ten years of training. You have literally as much innate talent as you do simple raw power. I heard legends and read stories, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have the opportunity to meet one of you…"

"I'm not special, Ange… at least I don't feel any different or special. Please don't treat me any differently… I still don't know anything, but I really want to learn. This is all so fascinating."

"Ok. We'll just continue like normal, if that's what you want…"

"It is, but I'm curious… Last night at the drive in, you were talking to Haley and Michaela, and you had a theory about me… you just said you'd heard legends about someone like me… What do you think I am?"

"Once every couple of millennia, there are stories of children born with amazing potential… Right now there are more and more indigo children being born, with greater spiritual potential. You are something much rarer… I think you are a golden child. The last one that is recorded of was born over three thousand years ago…"

"What happened to her?"

"He was a male child, and he went on to become a great leader of one of the other traditions. He is very powerful indeed."

"Wait… You said he was born three thousand years ago, but you make it sound like he's still alive… He is still alive… isn't he…?"

"Yes, he was turned and became an incubus. He is the leader of their race now and rules their royal family."

"Ok, too much information. Let's get back to something easy like magick and training…"

"I think we've done enough for today… we should release the quarters and I'll open the circle…"

"Wait, Ange… I want to learn one more thing before we stop for today. You said that the power of my aura helped me to break the compulsion James used on me, but it was pure luck, and he was able to control my mind. How do I stop that from happening again? How can I stop one of them from compelling me against my will? How do I defend myself from them?"

"Ok. This should be easy for you if you can see my aura as clearly as you say. Ok, right now I'll release all my defenses so you can view the energy of my aura in the natural state."

Angela seemed to physically relax, and her aura flared briefly brighter and was a little more tenuous. As I studied it, I could pick out details I hadn't noticed before. It looked like there was a small swarm of knots of energy swarming around her head and body flowing through her aura and orbiting around her.

"Angela, what are those tiny nodes of power orbiting around you? They look like a swarm of knots of energy flowing through your aura."

"You can see that much detail? I can't even 'see' them, but I can feel their presence, and feel their energy. Those are spells that are left hanging for use when I need them. Those are how I was able to show you those examples in your bedroom yesterday. Each of those spells began in a ritual much like this, but tailored to the energy that I wanted to create. When the energy matrix was prepared and ready to use, I captured its essence and compressed it to save for some time when I'd need it in the future."

"So those are spells?"

"In a manner of speaking, they're a way of manipulating energy. The shape of the energy, the mind set, the belief in the ability to perform the magick was forged here in this setting, but then saved for later use. Kind of like taking a snapshot of the setup, but I can take one of these energy nodes and achieve the end result without having to go through all of this again. I still have to go through the ritual to create the energy, but I can make a copy of it so I can 'flip the switch' later."

"Huh, that's cool. You're going to have to show me how to do that sometime. Now how do I defend my mind?"

"This is a simple ward." Angela made a gesture with her hand, and I could see the pattern of energy form around her hand. Energy flowed into it from her aura and formed a round shield like barrier in front of her. "This will block much negative energy, probes and simple attacks, and will dispel many simple spells. You can also anchor it to form a barrier or protect something."

She let the energy flow out of the first barrier, and it dissipated and flowed into the circle. She made the gesture again and the same pattern of energy formed around her hand, but this time she knelt and touched the floor. The energy stuck where she touched, and stretched like a tracery of fine threads as she moved and touched the floor again. She stood up and the tracery of fine energy strands stretched upward with her hand. She gestured in the air and the energy stayed like it was pinned in place. She pulled it across like a curtain, and pinned the fourth corner.

"This works better and lasts longer if you anchor it to something physical, like a window or doorway. Hanging this in the air like this is very temporary, and will fade if I don't concentrate on it. If you anchor it to something physical, it can last for a long time. Indefinitely if you maintain it and add energy from time to time."

"May I?" I asked as I moved my hand to touch the curtain of air hanging in the air.

"Yes, but be careful. It could shock you like the gate yesterday… This example isn't very powerful."

"Ok…" I touched the tracery of fine energy strands, and ran my fingers along them. I could feel the pattern of the energy and how it flowed. My fingers quivered slightly as the energy tickled and caressed my skin making my finger tips tingle. I knew instinctively that I could easily dismantle this simple barrier…Or build one of my own.

"Thank you," I said and lowered my hand.

Angela touched the curtain of energy for a second, and then it collapsed and flowed into the circle.

"So I could use something like this to protect something like the window in my bedroom? Would this keep somebody from coming into my room?"

"Yes, if it was strong enough. Now you try it and see if you can produce the energy pattern like I did."

"Ok, let me give this a try." I looked at my hand and remembered how it had felt when the tendrils of energy had joined my finger tips. I touched my thumb to my fingertip and opened them, and I felt the energy stretch between them. I copied the gesture I had seen Angela make, and felt the threads of energy flow from my fingertips and weave into the pattern of energy that I had felt as the energy matrix formed in my hand. I willed the energy in my aura to flow into the energy matrix, and suddenly it exploded into a solid barrier in front of me. I willed the energy to flow back to me, and the barrier collapsed. The residual energy flowed into the circle as I released the matrix.

"Wow…!" Angela exclaimed in shock. "Try and anchor a ward," she said excitedly as she watched to see what would happen.

"Ok…"

I made the warding gesture again like I had before, and felt the threads of energy from my fingertips flow and weave into the pattern of the energy matrix in my hand. I knelt and touched the matrix to floor, and the energy pattern stuck where I touched. I stretched the tracery of fine threads and touched the floor again. I stood up and the matrix of luminous threads stretched upward like a net, following my hand. I twisted a strand of the matrix around the air and the energy stayed like it was tied to the nothingness. I reached for the edge of the network of glowing threads, and pulled it across the open space like a curtain, and wrapped the fourth corner around the air. I touched the matrix of threads hanging in the air like a net, and willed my energy to flow into it. Suddenly it was like there was a solid wall in front of me. I could feel Angela reach out and touch the barrier. I knew she was touching it, and I could sense her hand as she touched the wall in front of me.

"This is so cool, Bella. It's like you've been doing this for years, instead of just learning for the first time. This ward feels so solid, and you aren't even straining… Ok, let it go."

"Umm… I wasn't holding it up, but let me see… I touched the wall, and the energy flowed back into me. I let the matrix collapse, and the energy flowed into the circle.

"Ok, watch what I do. This is a basic shielding technique." I watched Angela reach out and energy flared brighter around her hand and fingertips. I could feel its potential and nature, and she swept it through her aura and it became more defined and smoother. It looked harder and it blocked my view of the energy nodes swarming around her so I could only see her light.

"Alright, let me try." I touched my thumb to my fingertip and opened them, and I felt the energy stretch between them. It grew and filled the palm of my hand I swept it through my aura as Angela had. I felt the energy around me thicken and coalesce. It became more defined and I could feel around me like a second skin.

"Excellent, Bella, that should block any mental attack or compulsion, but you'll still be vulnerable to an incubus's physical abilities. Their seduction isn't all mental."

"What do you mean?"

"They literally exude sex appeal, and that's all purely physical. I'm sure when you went with James; at first it was all just animal magnetism and purely physical attraction. Sure, he used the compulsion later on, but if he knew it wouldn't work, he still could have gotten to you the old fashioned way."

I blushed, because I knew she was right. I might not have gone with him that night, without the compulsion, but if he'd been patient, I would have gone with him another night without being compelled.

"Ok, I have a basic defense. How do I fight back?"

"Not today, Bella. We're not prepared for that, and I can't work with that energy here. It would be too disruptive."

"Well can you at least show me how I pushed James away? I get a bad feeling about this, like something is going to happen. I'd like to at least know what I did before so I don't have to hope I get lucky."

"I guess I can show you at least that much… I suppose it's really mainly defensive, depending on how you use it…"

"Thanks Ange, I really appreciate this."

Angela created another energy matrix as she gestured with her fingers and pulled the threads of power into her hand. She reached out and an intricate tracery of blue threads formed in the palm of her hand and swirled around her fingers.

"This is most likely what you used when you pushed James away. The telekinetic powers allow you to directly interact with matter. Moving things, picking things up, pushing, stuff like that… They're all really variations on a theme. Once you understand the basic energy matrix, the rest depends on how creative you get, and how much finesse you're able to exert. For example…"

Angela reached out towards one of the tables against the wall, and I saw the blue threads of power reach out to a golden metal cup that was on the table top. They wrapped around the chalice, and then it lifted off the table and floated across the room into Angela's hand.

"Oh wow… That is so cool… But why did the cup pass through the circle, and how could you use magick through it, but it blocked those other energies from entering?"

"That is the nature of the circle, and how it's meant to work. It knows which energies we want to pass through it, and it would be kind of pointless to raise all of this energy if we couldn't use it to manipulate the world around us. The circle acts as a filter and protection against external forces, and we can act on the outside world from the inside, but what we send through it can return. It won't stop physical objects unless I want it too, and we poured a lot more energy into the circle."

"I suppose that makes a kind of sense…"

Angela set the cup on the floor and held out her hand to me. The energy matrix was still active in the palm of her hand and swirling around her fingers.

"Here, give it a try."

I looked at the swirling energy as she held out her hand to me, and the blue energy matrix was still actively wrapped around her hand. I reached out and touched it and felt the nature and pattern of the energy. It felt ridiculously easy to replicate. I let go of the matrix in Angela's hand, and flexed my fingers as I sought out the blue threads. They wrapped around my fingers and conformed to my will as I remembered the pattern of energy I had felt.

"Ok, how do I use this?"

"Think about the object that you want to move, and you should be able to feel it, even though you aren't touching it. Visualize what you want to do to it. Pick it up, move it, push it, throw it, it all depends on how creative you can get. This isn't limited to your own physical strength, either. I doubt you could have thrown an incubus hard enough or fast enough to blow him through that car door. This uses the power of your will and the energy in your aura. This is what you did when you fought off James."

"Ok, let me try this…"

I concentrated on reaching for the cup and visualized picking it up… I could feel it in my hand, but I wasn't touching it. It started to float into the air but it felt slippery in my grip, despite the fact that I could see it smoothly rise off the floor towards my hand. I tried to grip tighter to get a firm hold on it… Suddenly the cup collapsed and wadded into a misshapen distorted hunk of metal that flew into my hand.

"Oops… It felt slippery, and I thought I was going to drop it… I guess I held it too tight. I'm sorry Angela…"

"It's ok, Bella. Let me have it. It's your first time, and you just need to practice."

I handed the hunk of metal that used to be an ornate chalice to Angela, and she held it in the palm of her hand. The blue energy matrix engulfed the ruined cup, and then it started to shift and reform in front of my eyes. It was like watching somebody run a movie in reverse, and then the chalice was restored and as good as new. Angela held it out to me and I took it in my hand and examined it.

"See, it's just a matter of visualization and finesse. You'll get the hang of it. Why don't you see if you can set it back on the table?"

I let the blue energy matrix flow around the cup again, and then I visualized it moving back to the table where it was before we started this. I let go of the cup with my hand, and ignored that it felt slippery and just let it move across the room. It settled into place, and I managed not to destroy anything else.

"Very good Bella. If you get into a serious situation, that should allow you to at least defend yourself. It worked against James before."

"Ok, thanks, Ange. This will work for now… Before you showed me this, you were hesitant about showing me how to fight back. There's more?"

"Yes, a lot more… I don't study much of that myself, but Sara has explored that path."

"I want to learn more, Angela. I'm not going to be a victim anymore. I want to know how to defend myself and how to fight back. If James isn't dead, and I doubt he is, then I have a feeling he going to come looking for me someday."

"I'll try and get something setup, but it'll take a couple of days… That's not the primary focus of my tradition… I'm not very knowledgeable about aggressive magick… I can defend myself if I have to, but it's not the path I follow…"

"I'm sorry, Angela… I don't want to force you to teach things you're uncomfortable with… Maybe I can study this on my own, if you point me in the right direction…"

"No, I'll help you, Bella, but it's a slippery slope, and a path I prefer not to tread. I'll show you what I know. I just can't do it here. I'm sure once Sara meets you, she'll be more than happy to teach you."

"Thanks' Ange…"

"I should be thanking you, Bella. This is an amazing opportunity, and I feel honored to show you the few simple tricks I know. Ok, let's end this ritual. It's getting late and we still need to get ready for tonight."

"Right… how do we end the ritual?"

"When your ritual is complete, it is a MUST to release the quarters. The energies that we invited into our circle are bound to our circle until they are released, and letting the energy sit there unused after we're done can be very disruptive to the nearby environment. I'll begin…"

Angela moved back to the center of the circle and drew the invoking pentacle in the air, and recited, "Guardians of the watchtowers of the center! I thank you for your presence in my circle this day. Go if you must, stay if you like. I bid you Hail and Farewell!"

Ben and the rest seemed to come out of their trance now and moved back to the group in the center of the circle.

Haley stepped over to the candle stand on the right side of the circle, drew the invoking pentacle in the air, and recited, "Guardians of the watchtowers of the east! I thank you for your presence in my circle this day. Go if you must, stay if you like. I bid you Hail and Farewell!"

The candle went out as a gentle breeze blew through the room. I saw the tendril of energy from the candle stand dissipate and stop flowing when the candle went out. She smiled and stepped back to the group in the center.

Michaela stepped to the next candle stand moving around the circle in a deosil fashion, approach the southern quarter. She drew the invoking pentacle in the air facing south, and recited, "Guardians of the watchtowers of the south! I thank you for your presence in my circle this day. Go if you must, stay if you like. I bid you Hail and Farewell!"

The candle went out as she released the quarter, and the tendril of energy from the candle stand dissipated and stopped flowing when the candle went out. She smiled and stepped back to the group in the center.

Haley stepped over to the candle stand on the left side of the circle, and repeated the same process as before, facing to the west, and recited, "Guardians of the watchtowers of the west! I thank you for your presence in my circle this day. Go if you must, stay if you like. I bid you Hail and Farewell!"

The candle went out with a wet sputtering and steam rose from the candle as she released the quarter. The tendril of energy from the candle stand dissipated and stopped flowing when the candle went out. Haley stepped back to the group in the center.

Ben stepped up to the candle stand at the top of the circle, and repeated the same process as the girls, facing to the north, and recited, "Guardians of the watchtowers of the north! I thank you for your presence in my circle this day. Go if you must, stay if you like. I bid you Hail and Farewell!"

It felt like a slight tremor vibrated through the ground under our feet as the candle went out when he released the quarter. The tendril of energy from the candle stand dissipated and stopped flowing when the candle went out. Ben stepped back to the group in the center.

"The quarters have been released," Angela said to me. "Now I can go about opening the circle itself. This is the only point within the circle when it is considered appropriate to move in a widdershins manner. However, many traditions discourage even this. To open the circle, you move around the circle counterclockwise while envisioning the energy from the circle being drawn into your athame, wand or hands."

Angela moved to the edge of the circle and pointed the athame at the circle on the ground as she walked counterclockwise, and I could see the sphere become more translucent and amorphous as she drew the energy back in. When she had gone completely around the circle, she said, "This circle is open, but never broken. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again! As we will it, so mote it be!" She stomped her foot to indicate that the circle was, indeed, open, and the sphere collapsed like a soap bubble touched with your fingertip.

"It's important to take down the circle when you complete your magick. A circle is a powerful source of energy, and it will be very disruptive and chaotic if it is left to break down on its own."

I nodded, and followed Angela as she started to walk to the stairs. I was pleasantly surprised that my sight hadn't diminished with the end of the ritual, and I could still see everyone's aura and the patterns of energy in the room.

"C'mon, we should head back upstairs. My parents will probably be returning home soon, and I'd prefer to be waiting for them when they get back."

"What time is it, Angela? How long were we down here? It didn't seem very long to me…"

I followed here through the door back into the kitchen, and it was getting dark outside. I stumbled on the top step, but Angela caught me before I could fall and hurt myself. I was still using the 'sight', and it was a little disorienting seeing so much more than normal. The regular mundane world was still a little out of focus.

"Thanks', Ange, this sight thing is still a little disorienting…"

"You're still holding your focus? Doesn't it take a lot of concentration for you? You just learned it today…"

"No, I hadn't even really thought about it."

"Oh wow, that's just freaky," Michaela said walking through the door. "When I first started, I could only keep it up for a couple of minutes, and then my focus would shift back. I had to really concentrate to learn to hold it."

"Yeah," Haley said as she followed her into the room. "I got a bad headache when I tried to stay focused for too long."

"You always have a headache," Ben said as he walked in behind us and closed the door. The illusion dropped back into place as soon as the door closed, but now that I knew it was there I could faintly make out the vestiges of a faint tracery of energy on the wall.

"Maybe you should let your focus return to normal, Bella. You don't want to push this too fast in the beginning. Just let your energy flow and adjust as you get more comfortable, and a lot of this will come to you naturally."

"Ok… Angela, how do I turn this off? You said I should let my focus return to normal. I'm not really trying… there's nothing to 'let' happen."

"Ok… Umm, let me see. Try using the card I gave you earlier. Do you still see three dots and the 3D image?"

"Yes…"

"Try and adjust your focus until you only see two dots."

I stared at the card, and brought the dots together, and the world looked like the same old mundane world I'd been looking at for seventeen years when I glanced up and looked around. I stared at the dots again and let my eyes relax until there were three dots again, and I could see the patterns of energy and my aura glowing around me. I stared at the card until my focus shifted back, and the world was normal again.

"Ok, that worked. Everything looks normal again."

"Did you try shifting back?" Angela asked. "Did it look the same?"

"Yep, as soon as I shifted my focus, everything was lights and patterns of energy."

"Cool, that will make it easier to learn if you can actually see the patterns of energy. It took me years of constant practice to see a fraction of that."

I looked at the clock on the kitchen wall over the sink as everyone started to move back into the family room.

"Oh my god, I can't believe how late it is… I have to get home! I still need to tell Charlie I have a date tonight, and I have to get his dinner and get ready… I've got to go, Ange!"

"So you do have a date tonight," Michaela said, "With Newton?"

"Well yeah, He's the only guy I talked to last night, and I've kind'a been over here all day. Who else would I have a date with?"

"So you guy's are going to the New Year's party, tonight, right?"

"Yeah, dinner first, then the lodge New Year's party," I said. "I didn't ask Mike, is this a dressy party, or just casual?"

"Dress nice, not jeans, but nothing too bad," Haley said. "Definitely not formal or black tie, but people like to look nice for it."

"Ok," and I was heading out the door, "Hey, are you guy's all going?" I asked. There was a chorus of yes's and affirmative responses. "Cool, I'll see you up there," and I was out the door.

I jogged down the street, and Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway. I didn't hesitate today and hurried up the steps and went inside. Charlie was sitting in the recliner watching ESPN, and there was some game on. I slowed down when I saw him. I had to tell him about Mike, and I got nervous, but I was out of time. I had to fix his dinner, and then change to go out.

"Hey, Charlie how was the fishing," I started as I perched on the end of the couch.

"Good. More fish in the freezer. I was getting worried. I saw your note, but it was getting late…"

"Yeah, sorry about that… I'll get dinner going… Hey Charlie, you know how I told you I'd let you know if I found any of the boy's around her interesting…"

Charlie sat up in his chair, and turned down the sound on the TV. "Yeah, Bells? Did you want to tell me something?"

"Umm… I sort of have a date tonight. It was late when I got home last night, and you were already in bed… You were gone this morning when I got up, and I didn't want to put it in a note…"

"That's alright, so who are you going out with?"

"Umm… Mike Newton? I talked to him at the races last night… He seems nice. He invited me to the Lodge New Years Eve party tonight. We're going to dinner first."

"Mike Newton, huh? Ok, Mike's a good kid. When's he picking you up?"

"At seven, but I told him to come early so you could talk…"

"Seven, huh? Well don't worry about cooking for me if you're going out. I'll grab something to eat in town, or throw a TV dinner in the microwave. You better go get dressed. He'll be here soon if you told him to come early."

"Thanks' dad," and I jumped up and went up the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6 Date Night

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Ok, I was going to wait to post this until I had the next chapter of "The Mating Dance" ready to go, but I got side tracked this weekend with research and then I found another great story to read after looking at some of the updates for my favorites.

Anyhow, this was ready to go so I thought I'd post it. A lot of people have been commenting on the Mike/Bella thing in this early part of the story. I actually have most of it written, but I was thinking about toning it down a bit if people really don't like Mike that much.

I'm just kind of working with Mike as the normal human guy Bella could have been with if Edward wasn't in the picture, because they haven't actually met yet. He's still an ass, but he won't really show that until later. He's just smoother here, because there's a lot more dating going on since the Cullen's moved to town.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 6 Date Night

"_Seven, huh? Well don't worry about cooking for me if you're going out. I'll grab something to eat in town, or throw a TV dinner in the microwave. You better go get dressed, he'll be here soon if you told him to come early."_

"_Thanks' dad," and I jumped up and went up the stairs._

I went in my room and grabbed my toiletries bag as I kicked off my sneakers, but my feet got tangled as I tried to do too many things at once. I got lucky and fell onto my bed instead of hitting my head on the vanity as I went down. I rolled over and sat up, and got my shoes off. Then I jumped up and went down the hall to the bathroom. I got undressed and ran the shower. I didn't have time to wash my hair and get it dried and styled in time so I piled it on top of my head in a twist and clipped it up out of the way.

I got in the shower and washed, and then reached for my razor and shaving gel. I shaved my legs and armpits and touched up around my pubes. Not that Mike would be anywhere near there, or that I'd be wearing a bikini anytime in the near future, but it made me feel better to keep things neat and tidy. I rinsed off in the shower, and then got out and got dried off. I smoothed on some baby oil to avoid irritated skin, and then brushed my teeth. I stuffed my dirty clothes in the hamper, wrapped the towel around myself, and went back to my room.

Now I was faced with decisions. Haley had said to dress nice but no jeans. I didn't have any nice pants that weren't jeans, unless I wore my black slacks, but they looked like what Haley had worn to work the other day. That left me very little choice. Apparently pants were out, but I only owned three skirts. One was too short for a first date, unless I wanted to give Mike the wrong impression. One was denim, and probably fell into the jeans category. The last one was my fall back dress up skirt in tan cotton with pockets. It zipped up the back and was fitted at the waist but the skirt was full and swirled nicely just below my knees. The problem was it was forty degrees outside on New Year's Eve, and I'd freeze. I didn't own any tights or panty hose because I hadn't really been planning on wearing a dress anytime soon.

I sighed and dug into my underwear drawer. I did have one option, and Mike didn't need to know about it. He wasn't going to ever know about it, unless we became much better friends some time many dates in the future. I got out the lingerie Renee had gotten me on my sixteenth birthday. I had a garter belt set and hose that I could wear with the skirt to keep my legs from freezing. I put on my panties, and then smoothed the white lace garter belt over them around my hips. There were four sets of different colored hose, black, red, white, and beige. I selected the beige as the least provocative, and sat down on the velvet bench in front of the vanity, rolled them up, inserted my toe, and smoothed them onto my legs. I attached the four garter straps, and adjusted them to fit. It looked a little naughty and sexy with the tiny thong panty and matching garter belt in the mirror and gave me a little thrill. It was a good thing I had shaved. It kept things nice and neat looking. Poor Mike, too bad he wasn't going to get to see this.

I got my skirt out of the closet and stepped into it. I zipped it up and smoothed it on my hips to fit and I was halfway done getting dressed. I figured in for penny, in for a pound, so I got the matching strapless white lace bra out of my dresser drawer. I put it on and fastened the clasp and then positioned the strap of lacy white fabric on my breasts, adjusting the cups so it fit comfortably. Again I was faced with limited choices as I decided on a top to wear. It really just came down to a choice of red or blue. I felt like red tonight. It had been a good day, and red made me feel happy and alive. I liked blue too, but it felt more somber and peaceful, and I was excited about going out.

I got out my red pullover blouse, and laid it on the bed. It was imported silk with a draw string tie and an elastic neckline. It would hang off the shoulder at the top of my breasts if I let the string loose and relied on the elastic. There was a metal sequin embellishment at the front keyhole, and the full sleeves that hung to my elbows if I let it fall off the shoulder. I found the brown leather accent belt that I wore with it, and set it on the bed too.

I sat down in front of the vanity and unclipped my hair and brushed it out. I didn't have time to get fancy, so I just plugged in the curling iron and tried to add a bit of curl to my otherwise straight hair. I still had to do my makeup, and it was almost time to go. I covered my face in a light powder cover-up. I was still pale, but at least it looked like an even consistent pale. I held a darker gray almost black eye liner pencil in my hand and carefully traced it around the edges both lids. I added a touch of eye shadow and applied a coat of Mascara.

I heard a knock on the front door downstairs, and glanced at the clock radio on the night stand by the bed. Quarter to seven, so that was probably Mike. Well, Charlie could keep him busy for a while, and it didn't pay to look too eager. He would wait until I was ready to go out if he was worth dating in the first place.

I went to work on my lips while I waited for the first coat of Mascara to dry. I outlined my lips with a lip liner pencil and then carefully started to paint in some color with a lip stick brush. I blotted my lips with a tissue, and then applied a touch of lip gloss to give my lips a bit of shine. I added just a touch of blush to give my cheeks some color, and then I was ready for the second coat of Mascara.

I carefully pulled my top over my head and avoided smudging my makeup. Then I pulled my hair out of the neckline and shook it out to fall around my shoulders. The hem of the top draped loosely around my hips as I arranged the neckline on my shoulders. I put on the accent belt around the waist slightly drawing up the hem and giving the top some shape so it hugged my hips and waist and accentuated my shape.

All I needed were shoes, and I was ready to go. I'd been thinking my kitten heel pumps, but I was feeling daring tonight, so I got out the high heel ankle strap pumps. They looked cute with this outfit, and were only three inch stilettos, so they weren't outrageously high. I'd just have to be careful, and I could always hang onto Mike to keep my balance. I grabbed my purse and added makeup essentials to fix my makeup as needed through the evening, and I was good to go.

I could hear Charlie and Mike chatting in the living room as I went down the stairs and it sure didn't sound like Charlie was giving him the third degree from the way they chuckled together over some joke. I was careful as I went down the stairs, and then Mike and Charlie both looked up at the sound of my heels clicking across the floor as I walked to the living room. Both of them stood up as I walked around the corner from the stairs. Charlie had a startled look on his face as though it finally hit him that I wasn't his little girl anymore. Mike had a huge smile on his face and a slightly smoldering look of lust in his eyes as he looked me up and down. I could tell he appreciated my outfit. It might not be one hundred percent Forks friendly, but I figured we be inside most of the time.

"Hey, Bella, you look great tonight," Mike said, maybe a little too enthusiastically for Charlie's piece of mind.

"Yeah, Bells, you look really nice. You sure it isn't a little too wintery out for that outfit?" Charlie asked, glaring at Mike out of the corner of his eye, while he smiled at me. I could almost hear the wheels going 'round in his head, as he gave me that 'I'm letting my baby girl, go out with this guy, dressed like that?' look.

"Thanks' Mike." I said and smiled at him, "Thanks' Dad. Hey, I'm working with limited options here. I packed everything that was relatively Forks friendly, but I did used to live in Phoenix, you know. We really need to plan a shopping trip to flesh out my wardrobe. Besides, we should be indoors most of the time tonight, anyhow, right? So, where are we going for dinner, Mike?"

"I thought we'd go to the North South Garden, downtown, you like Chinese, right? Then we can head over to the New Year's Eve party after dinner."

"Chinese is cool. So, done giving Mike the third degree, Charlie?"

"Yeah, I suppose. What time are you kids gonna be home?" Charlie asked. He looked at Mike with a raised eyebrow, and gave him a bit of a glare, daring him to say how late he was going to keep me out.

"Hey, it's a New Year's Eve party, right? So, I guess I'll be home next year, ok?" I interjected, and Mike looked relieved.

"Yeah, New Year's, huh? Ok, you can stay till 'next year', but I'll expect you in this house by one o'clock, ok? It's about a five minute drive to the school, so that should give you plenty of time to celebrate. Does that work for you?"

"Thanks' dad," and I grabbed Mikes hand to pull him out of the house before Charlie could change his mind. I grabbed my coat out of the closet, and Mike helped me with it, and then we were heading out the door.

Charlie stood on the porch watching as Mike led me to his car. He opened the passenger door for me and closed the door when I was inside. He ran around to the driver side and got in, and we pulled away from the curb.

"Thanks' for jumping in and saving me back there, Bella. You really do look great tonight."

"Thanks', Mike, You look nice too. I just wanted to get out of there, before Charlie decided he needed to play 'dad' anymore. He feels bad that he wasn't around more when I was little, and now he thinks he needs to make up for it by 'protecting' me. He wasn't too hard on you was he?"

"Your dad wasn't too bad. He's just looking out for you. I totally get it. If I had a daughter, and she was half as pretty as you and going out with some guy, I'd totally give him the third degree and put the fear of god in him to make sure he respected her and treated her right."

"So are you going to treat me right and respect me?" I asked with a smile.

"That depends sweetheart, I'll definitely treat you right, and you can have all the respectability that you want. Just how respectable we are is up to you." Mike said with a smirk.

"I think we'll go for respectable tonight. This is our first date, after all."

"Umm… I think you need to check your math there, sweetheart. I was counting the races as our first date, so that would actually make this our second date."

"Hmm… You do move awful fast. Second date, huh. Ok, I'll buy that. Just remember what I told you, we can be friends and have fun, but I'm not looking for a boyfriend…"

"So friends with benefits?"

"Let's start off with friends, and we'll see what kind of benefits we work up to, alright? If you're nice you might earn some benefits eventually."

"Fine by me, I'll just have to extra charming and earn lots of benefits."

It was a really short drive to the restaurant. The North South Garden was only a couple of blocks up N Forks Avenue from the Coffee Shop, and a block or so down from the drive-in on Sol Duc Way right where it branched off the main drag. The building was built next to one of the newer strip malls along the main street, but it was on the north end, and had a parking lot adjacent to the building. The parking spaces out on the street were filled up, and there were a lot of cars in the lot. The place looked crowded and looked like it was a popular dinner destination tonight.

"So, do we have a reservation? I asked Mike as he pulled into a parking spot in the crowded lot.

"I called, but they don't take reservations. Most nights they aren't this crowded, but I guess a lot of people are eating out before they go to the party."

"Hmm, I can be patient, but it looks like this might take a while…"

I waited while Mike came around and opened my door for me, and I held his hand as we walked around to the front and went in. The place was crowded and there was another group waiting in the lobby when we walked in. Mike went and talked to the hostess and then came back to me.

"It's going to be a little wait, but I got our name on the list."

I nodded and we waited. A group left, and the larger group that was waiting was seated. I figured we were next, when another large group left, but the hostess didn't call our name. I told Mike to go see what the problem was. I could see the empty table sitting there… Mike was talking to the hostess when the front door opened again, and I felt the tingling sensation in my scalp, and a chill ran down my spine. I turned and looked, and it was Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale again.

"Hi, Bella," Alice exclaimed, and bounced over to give me a hug. I was startled. I had only met her briefly yesterday morning. She said we were going to be friends, but I'd thought she was just being polite.

I studied her eyes without obviously staring, and they were blue tonight, but they had a flat artificial look, and the color looked funny. They had to be colored contact lenses. Jasper's eyes were black, but they had the same artificial quality.

"So are you going to the New Year's Eve party tonight?" Alice asked.

"Yes, I'm going with Mike Newton…" and then Mike was back standing next to me again.

"Bella, I talked to the Hostess, but she says they're holding that table for a larger group. They don't want to seat a couple in that booth, and she said we'd have to wait for one of the other tables."

"Well, if they don't want to seat us, we can go somewhere else for dinner. What else is there here in town?" I asked Mike.

"Wait a minute, Bella," Alice said. "I've really been looking forward to trying this restaurant, and I don't want to wait either. If you don't mind if Jasper and I join you, we could sit together, and they can seat us now."

I turned to Mike, "Is that ok with you Mike?" An apprehensive look flashed across his face, but then he smiled at me. "I don't mind, as long as I get to sit with you."

"Great," Alice said as she strode up to the hostess, and asked her for a table for four. She'd been following the conversation, and already had the menus in her hand when Alice approached her. She called us over and led us back to the booth.

I slid into the booth, and Mike sat next to me. Alice and Jasper slid into the other side of the booth across from us.

"This is so cool," Alice exclaimed excitedly as she studied the menu. "It's been ages since I've had Chinese."

"I never really cared for Chinese," Jasper said with a smirk. "If we had to eat out, couldn't we have at least gone someplace where I could order a steak? Preferably very very rare…"

"San Francisco doesn't count. I meant Chinese food from a restaurant. Besides, you always order a steak when we go out to eat. You need to broaden you horizons." Then Alice turned to me. "So, Bella, do you like Szechuan or Cantonese? Do you guy's want to order on one of these dinner specials? If we get the dinner for four, they add an extra dish."

"I prefer Szechuan. I like it a little spicier. Cantonese is blander, and I'm not a big fan of seafood, although the Prawns with Cashew Nuts sound pretty good. The dinner special sounds good to me, how about you, Mike?"

Jasper seemed blanch a little, if that was possible, at my discussion of the menu options, and I saw him swallow, but then he looked at Alice. The apprehension cleared from his features, and was replaced with a look of loving adoration. I had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy this, but apparently he would do anything to make Alice happy.

"Well, I'll eat anything on the menu, and apparently you girls have dinner all planned out, so whatever you order is fine with me." Mike said.

The waitress came to take our order, and Alice rattled off what we had decided on. Then she asked for our drink preferences. "The dinner comes with hot tea, or would you like something else besides?" Alice asked.

"Tea is fine with me," I said. Mike and Jasper both looked like they would have preferred to order something else, but they both agreed to have tea.

"Ok, we'll have the tea for four with the dinner then," Alice told the waitress, and she left to go turn in our order.

"So, Alice, you mentioned San Francisco before. Is that where you lived before you moved to Forks?" I asked.

"No, it's been a long time since we lived in San Francisco. We were living in Alaska before we moved to Forks."

"Really, Alaska? Isn't it awfully cold and remote up there?" moving to Forks was a real stretch for me. I couldn't imagine living someplace even colder and farther away from civilization.

"Alaska isn't a frozen wasteland, Bella. The summers there are about like here in Forks or the rest of the northwest only not as wet as it gets here, but I'll grant you it is rather remote. We were there for a kind of extended family vacation, but Carlisle wanted to get back to work, so he took the job here in Forks."

The waitress came back then with our soup. She set a bowl on a small saucer in front of each of us, and then placed those funny looking Chinese ceramic soup spoons by each setting. She set the tea service on the table in front of Alice, and asked if we needed anything else. Alice glanced around the table, and then told her no.

Alice seemed very excited about a simple bowl of wonton soup, but she poured tea first and passed cups around to us. She sipped her soup with a look of curious experimentation on her face, and then seemed extremely pleased with the result. Jasper seemed considerably less enthusiastic, but seemed to steel his resolve and tentatively sipped at the soup. Mike on the other hand didn't seem to mind at all. I added a dash of soy sauce to my soup and enjoyed the appetizer while I chatted with Alice.

"Carlisle?" I asked, continuing the previous conversation as I sipped my hot tea from the little round cup.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen, my adopted father, the leader of our family. He loves his work, and he hates to sit idle for any great length of time, so when he heard about the opportunity here, he jumped at the chance."

"I'm surprised that he would consider a tiny community Hospital in Forks to be an opportunity."

"Oh, right the hospital…" Alice said it as though I had reminded her that his job at the hospital was the opportunity that we were discussing. "Yeah, well there was an opening, and Esme hates living in the big city with all that crime and violence…" She didn't really sound convincing, and I wondered what Esme really thought of big cities. It sounded like a convenient excuse.

"So where did you live before Alaska?" I asked.

"Oh out in the Midwest… Carlisle had a research position in Rochester, Minnesota. It seemed like we were there forever, but we've always moved around a lot."

"Really, I went to Chicago one summer with my mom, but I hated it out there. Didn't mind the heat, but the humidity killed me. I prefer a dry heat."

"Well, you aren't going to find either of those out here," Mike said, joining the conversation. "Forks is never dry, and not big on heat either. It might crack eighty on a super hot summer day, but mid-sixties to high seventies are about the norm. Usually it hovers right around sixty-eight degrees most of the year in Forks, except for about three months in the winter. We might get two or three days of light snow, otherwise it's pretty much the same year round."

"It snows here?" I asked, chagrined. Wet I could handle. Freezing wet falling out of the sky was too horrible to imagine.

"Only a couple of days each season. It hardly sticks to the ground, and it melts pretty quick."

"Yeah, Bella," Alice said. "You should have seen Minnesota. Snow four feet deep for months, and we had to dig out after every new storm. Snow plows on the highways and waiting for them to clear the roads in town. Rosalie absolutely went crazy over the salt they put on the roads, and what it did to our cars… Of course I didn't mind the snow days… I found ways to keep myself occupied…" Alice leaned over and hugged Jasper, and kissed his cheek.

I shuddered at Alice's description of winter in Minnesota. I already considered Forks to be a cold wet hell. The thought of actual snow and subzero arctic temperatures for literally months on end was truly horrific. Never in a million years would I subject myself to that. I couldn't imagine anything that could hold enough fascination to get me to willingly live in a place like that…

"No thank you, not in my wildest nightmares would I live in a place like that… I can't imagine anything that would make me accept that…"

"Oh you never know, sugar." Jasper said in his southern drawl. It had a hint of a twang, and reminded me of people I'd met from Texas. "I found something up north that made it a worthwhile place to live. I didn't mind it at all, but I guess that depends on the company you keep," and he leaned down and kissed the top of Alice's head.

"You know, Jasper," Mike said. "I always wondered about something… You and Rosalie are twins, but you have a southern accent and she doesn't. Isn't that a little odd? Or is one of you a better actor?"

Jasper narrowed his eyes and studied Mike like he was an annoying insect that had crawled onto table. Mike cringed a little under the withering glare… but then the moment passed. Jasper smiled, and everyone visibly relaxed.

"Rosalie spent many years as a young girl in boarding schools in the north learning how to be a proper young lady. She had only just returned home when we were involved in the accident that claimed our parent's lives."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Jasper… I haven't really been close to my dad, but I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly lost my parents. That had to be so hard for you…"

"Thank you, Bella… It was many years ago. I've come to terms with the… loss. Besides, I gained so much." All I could see was the loving adoration in his eyes as he looked at Alice. I could tell how much they meant to each other just sitting across from them for the short time since we'd met.

The waitress arrived with our dinner then, and started to set serving dishes in the middle of the table. We already had silverware rolled up in paper napkins, but she placed four sets of chopsticks with the plates she set out in front of us.

Alice took the initiative, and picked up a serving dish and served some steamed rice onto her plate and then passed it to Jasper. Dinner made the rounds around the table, and Alice, Mike and I took a little of everything. Jasper was pickier, and seemed to stick to the hot spicy dishes. He avoided the Pork Fried Rice and the Prawns, but took the Barbequed Pork instead of the Twice Cooked Pork. He took his spring roll, but probably because there were four of them, and each of us took one. I had a feeling he wouldn't eat it.

"You don't really seem to like Chinese food, do you Jasper?" I asked.

"I don't mind the hot spicy dishes so much," Jasper said as he took the hot oil sauce and dribbled some onto the food on his plate. That was saying a lot, considering I could feel the white pepper burn of the Mongolian beef, and there were little red hot chilies swimming in the sauce for the Hunan Chicken. I liked spicy food, but my tongue was already on fire without adding more. "I've got lots of practice living with the burn. I grew up down south."

"It's not always about learning to live with it, and persevering in the face of adversity, Jazz," Alice admonished him. "Sometimes you just need to savor all of life's experiences. You might find that it's ok to like some things just because you do, instead of automatically reacting the way other people tell you that you're supposed to react. Now tell me honestly, this really isn't as bad as you expected, is it?"

Jasper sighed. "No, it isn't. I can't say I'd ever truly enjoy eating like this, but no. It isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be."

"So will you help me talk dad into coming next time?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Oh, no, Kiddo, you're on your own there. You know I can't resist any crazy scheme you dream up. I'll even eat Chinese food with you, just to see your eyes light up like that, but I'm not going to get involved in you trying to change your father's opinions."

"I take it Carlisle is a picky eater too?" I asked.

Jasper chuckled, and Alice glared at him for a minute. "You know I could just bet him and win," Alice stated.

"Alice, you know he'd eat a quart of yogurt if it was the stake in a bet and he lost," Jasper and Mike both shuddered at the thought. I didn't get it, I liked yogurt.

"The whole point of the exercise would be getting him to try it willingly, and then form an honest opinion on his own. Betting seems to be the wrong tactic. You might want to consider another strategy," Jasper glanced in my direction, and I had the uncomfortable feeling that he was checking me out, as he looked me over with a calculating eye. Mike didn't seem to notice, and continued to eat his dinner.

Dinner was fun, and the food was good. The waitress brought us boxes for the leftovers, and we ended up with a half dozen little pint sized Chinese take out containers. The waitress left the check on a little black plastic tray with four fortune cookies. I excused myself to go to the ladies room, and Alice got up to go with me.

We walked into the ladies room, and it was unoccupied. There were two stalls, but the doors were open. I washed my hands, and opened my purse to fix my makeup.

"Honestly, Alice, Contact lenses? I really don't mind the golden yellow. It's kind of cool."

Alice seemed a little startled, but played it off and stepped up to the counter to fix her own makeup.

She shrugged, "People are just used to seeing me with blue eyes now. It would start talk if they saw the gold color now."

"I'm sorry I blew your glamour the other morning. I didn't realize I would have that affect on you. So, does it just blank it out when you're by me, or does it completely blow it away?"

Alice turned to stare at me. "It just blanks out close to you, but anybody who was looking would have seen through it too, until I moved away from you. It was working again by the time I got inside to talk to Jasper. How do you know so much? Are you part of the Weber girl's coven?"

"Angela and I are just friends. Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything about you."

Alice looked shocked. "Just how much do you know, Bella?"

"You mean about you being a succubus? Honestly not much at all, but I'm very curious. I really would like to be friends with you, Alice. You seem like somebody that likes to have fun. Maybe we could hang out and talk sometime."

"You're really ok with this, and you aren't scared at all, are you?"

"Should I be scared of you? Angela said there hadn't been any evidence of… vampire… attacks around here for decades. Was she wrong?"

"No… We don't kill people. I like humans. I find you all so fascinating, I don't hurt people…"

"You aren't the first vampire I've met, Alice, and he wasn't the friendly sort. I handled myself ok, and I know more now than I did that time. I'll make you a deal. I won't hurt you, if you don't hurt me. Ok?"

"This is so cool, Bella! I knew we were going to be best friends!"

"Thanks' Alice. Hey, let me see your phone and I'll add my number," She gave me her phone, and I handed her mine.

We swapped cell numbers, and then Alice gave me back my phone.

I finished up with a touch of lip gloss and the damage from dinner was fixed. "Ok, ready to hit the party?" I asked.

"Sure, but can I ask you one question, Bella?"

"Sure, Alice, what's on your mind?"

"Honestly, Bella, Mike Newton? What's up with that?"

"Mike's kind of cute, and he's been nice to me. I've only been in town for three days, and he asked me out. It sounded like fun."

"So you aren't serious about him? Guy's like Mike only want one thing."

"Alice! I've only known him for two days, and I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I only met him yesterday. I just wanted to have some fun…"

"Maybe we have more in common than I thought. He's just so… human, but I suppose he might be fun like that. Do you have protection?"

"Alice! Two days, remember? I haven't even kissed him. I seriously doubt it'll get further than that!"

"Hmm… Ok, if you say so, but I hear Mike works pretty fast. He doesn't always take no for an answer. Well, if you need any help, let me know."

"What do you mean by that? What have you heard?"

"Just stories that the girls at school tell, just rumors really. I just get the impression that sometime girls end up doing more than they expected to when they go out with him. That's all…"

"Hmm… I'll keep that in mind. C'mon, the boy's are gonna wonder what's taking so long."

The boy's were waiting for us in the lobby by the door when we walked back into the restaurant. Mike helped me into my coat, and then grabbed a bag with the leftovers. We offered to let Alice and Jasper take some of them, but Jasper insisted that we keep them. We left and walked out into the parking lot. Alice waved good bye, and said she'd see me at the party. Mike helped me into his car, and we left to drive to the New Year's Eve party.

"Well, the food was good, but that was totally freaky sitting with the Cullen's. Nobody at school is gonna believe this."

"Why, what was so 'freaky' about it? I really like Alice, and I want to be friends with her."

"Alice did seem pretty friendly tonight. You just seem to bring out the best in everyone, don't you?"

"Umm…thanks', I guess. But honestly, isn't Alice like that all the time? How's she different at school?"

"Well, usually the Cullen's keep pretty much to themselves most of the time. They never talk to anyone when they're together. The only time they talk to other people is when one of them takes the notion to want to date somebody outside their group. Then it's almost like they break away from the main group while they pursue whomever they've decided to go out with."

"Do they go out with other people very often?"

"Edward dates all the time. He's a bit of a legend at Forks High School now. I think he's gone out with most of the girls in school, and probably slept with most of them too. There's even a rumor floating around that he did Ms. Goff, the Spanish teacher."

"Why, does he brag about it and tell stories in the locker room about his conquests?"

"Edward? No, he's never breathed a word to anyone I know about any of his dates, but the girls talk, people see him around and who he's with, and stories get around."

"What about the rest of them?"

"Well, Jasper took Katie Marshall out to dinner and a movie in Port Angeles on Friday night."

"Jasper! But he was with Alice tonight… I saw them at breakfast downtown on Saturday morning. I could tell that Jasper was totally in love with Alice tonight, and she's totally into him! He was out with another girl on Friday, and she's cool with that?"

"I told you, freaky, right?"

"Yeah, a little… I am so gonna have to talk to Alice and find out about this."

"Well, good luck with that. You know, Alice wouldn't give me the time of day when I asked her out before."

"You're not her type…"

"Really, what did she tell you about me?"

"I couldn't tell you that! It's too embarrassing…"

"No, really. I can take it. What did she say?"

"Ok, you asked for it. She said, 'guys like Mike only want one thing'."

"Really, she said that? Umm… is that why you're going out with me? Is that what girls like Bella want? You said you don't want a boyfriend, but you want to have fun…"

"No! Not on the second date. Probably not before I go to college."

"Ok, just making sure we're on the same page here. But you're open to slightly less physical displays of affection? Once you have time to get to know somebody?"

"Umm… Yeah, probably, but let's just take this one step at a time, ok?

"Ok, Bella, I'm cool with that."

We were parked in the lot next to the high school gym now. I nodded to show I agreed with him. Mike was nice and cute, but I wasn't going to let him move too fast, no matter how much I wanted to try a few things. I wasn't ready for sex…yet, especially with somebody I'd known for two days, and definitely not on the second date, but I wasn't ruling everything out. I knew I probably at least kiss him tonight. I'd wait and see where that went.

"So, the girls tell me there's a smoking area here, by the gym. Will you show me?"

"Sure, c'mon, let's go for a walk."

"Ok," Mike opened my door and we got out

"So, this is the Lodge party," I said, "and we're at the high school. Not exactly your typical kegger, so is this party dry?"

"Pretty much, once we get inside. Do you want a drink?"

"I could go for a beer… What have you got?"

Mike opened the trunk, and there was a cooler inside as if he needed it. It was forty degrees out at noon, and dropped into the thirties at night. Maybe the cooler was to keep it from freezing. He opened the cooler took out a bottle and twisted off the cap and handed it to me.

"Keep it out of sight 'til we get around the building, or they'll call your dad if we get caught out here."

"No Problem, I've got this." I looked around, and then sipped the beer.

Mike grabbed a beer for himself, and was going to close the trunk.

"Hey, give me a couple and I'll put them in my coat pockets," I told him.

Mike smiled and handed me two more, and I slipped them into the pockets of my coat. The pockets were big enough that they fit inside easily.

"Ok, c'mon let's go. I want to have a cigarette and we can have a couple of beers before we head inside."

I took Mikes hand to help steady myself as we walked around the gym. It was dark out now, and it wasn't well lit out here. I sipped my beer, but was careful to make sure nobody was looking, or at least nobody that would say anything to get us in trouble.

It looked like there was a semi-private party before the party going on out behind the gym. Mike led me over to the group, and I recognized Michaela and Dean. Haley was there with another guy I didn't know, but she introduced him as Lucas Henderson. I recognized Jessica Stanley, and Lauren Mallory was hanging all over Tyler. There were some other kids, but I didn't remember all of their names.

I got out my cigarette and lit it, and drank my beer. Charlie said a couple of beers were cool. I wasn't breaking the rules, and I was having fun. These kids seemed like a pretty good group. I was finding my path and what was right for Bella. I could handle this. I liked this group of kids, and I was fitting in. I liked being part of the group, instead of hanging on the fringes like a bystander, watching other people live their lives and have fun.

Of course, now I was really in three groups. There was the Angela group, and that was exciting and fun. It was new and exhilarating to find out that magick was real. People could really cast spells and do amazing things, and I was good at it. Not just good at it, but a natural talent the like of which hadn't been seen for thousands of years. I was going to stick with Angela and learn as much as she could teach me. It wasn't like I was going to use her or anything. I really considered her a friend, but she had secrets she had to keep, and I accepted that. Just because we were friends didn't mean I couldn't have secrets too. I figured I'd tell her about Alice and the Cullen's eventually, but I wanted to know more about what was going on first. The Cullen's knew about Angela's 'coven' for lack of a better word. I wondered how much Angela knew about the Cullen's.

Then there was the Mike group, with Mike and his friends from school. There was some overlap with the Angela group, and I hoped this would be the same as the school group next Wednesday. Mike was nice, and I was definitely considering making some new healthy memories with him, but this Jessica bitch was creeping me out with the dirty looks while Mike stood next to me with his arm around my shoulders. So she was the ex. Well it was her loss. The way I heard it she broke up with him, and then decided it was a mistake. Oh well, you live, you learn, better luck next time. My turn now bitch.

The third group was tentatively the Alice group. Potentially the Cullen group, I guess, although I hadn't met any of the other's yet. I liked Alice, and wanted to be friends. Jasper seemed cool, but I wanted the low down on this whole dating other people deal. That was just weird. I could see where I didn't want a boyfriend right now. The Idea held no appeal for me at this point in my life. I was ok with dating more than one guy and not making commitments. Maybe some friends with benefits, as long as they realized one of the benefits wasn't sex. But Alice and Jasper were a couple. They were so obviously a couple, and it was obvious that they were both in love with each other. How could they possibly be ok with watching each other date other people?

I finished my first beer as we chatted with the local kids from school. I asked Mike about the empty, and luckily there was a convenient dumpster nearby. I took out my second beer as Mike got rid of the empties. I asked him if he wanted his other one, but he said he was cool for now. I finished my cigarette, and dropped the butt on the ground and crushed it out.

Tanner showed up with another girl I didn't know, and talk turned to the races from yesterday night. The consensus was that eventually the Cullen's had to go down and there winning streak had to end. Views were mixed between whether or not the Cullen's had superior skills or better more expensive equipment that gave them an edge. I sided with the group the seemed to think it was a combination of both. Nobody here thought to question the fact the maybe they had a supernatural edge that put them ahead of the game. I'd have to check that out, and maybe we could level the playing field.

I thought Haley's date was lighting a cigarette, but I immediately recognized the sweet pungent odor when he took a hit and blew out the smoke. I took a closer look at the small hand rolled cigarette. Yeah, he was smoking a joint, and started to pass it around. He tried to hand it to Haley, but she shook her head no, and Tyler took it instead. I really really wanted a hit off that joint. I liked to party, and I knew it would take the edge off my nervousness so much better than a cigarette, but I'd made a deal with Charlie. He said no more drugs, and I'd told him I'd follow the rules.

I was faced with a dilemma but I had an out. Haley had said no, and she hadn't taken a hit off the joint. Nobody laughed at her or called her a loser for passing it up. I wanted to take a hit, but I knew Charlie wanted me to change my life. I wanted to change my life too.

My turn was next, and Tanner held the joint out to me. I looked at it, and then shook my head no. Mike looked at me for a second. I had a pretty good idea he wanted to smoke it, but then he shook his head no, too, and somebody else took it. I sighed and drank my beer. This was enough. Charlie was cool with this, and I'd follow his rules until I found balance. Someplace where I felt comfortable between the light and the dark, my own shade of gray…

Tanner produced a bottle of liquor from inside his jacket, and passed it around. I wasn't the only one to turn down a drink, but Mike took a turn. I was done with my second beer, and he told me to go ahead and drink the last one, and took another drink from Tanner's bottle. Three beers wasn't going to get me drunk, so I handed Mike the empty and twisted the top off the third beer.

I was definitely catching a buzz now. Not really drunk, but that pleasant floaty feeling where everything seems more fun and you're more willing to try things that you'd normally say no to. I smoked another cigarette, and finished my beer. I was ready for the party now. I could hear music inside, and my normal aversion to dancing was nicely suppressed. Some of the other kids had already gone inside, and I wanted to dance with Mike.

"C'mon, Mike, Let's go check out the party inside now," I said as I handed him the empty.

"Sure, Bella, just let me get rid of this." He walked over to the dumpster and dropped the beer bottle inside. Then he came back and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close.

"Ok, let's go," Mike said, and we started around the building. Mike glanced back at his friends. "See you inside," and waved to them as we walked away.


	7. Chapter 7 Happy New Year

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Well, I did a little editing, but I'm sure parts of this chapter will make some people unhappy. Just let me say that it's a build up to later events, and all the relationships will probably settle out in later chapters of the story.

I understand that a lot of people don't like Mike, but please remember that at this point in the story, Bella hasn't met Edward yet, and he represents the nice normal human guy that she might have had a relationship with if she never met Edward. She'll be meeting him soon.

There's one conversation with Angela that's a little long and drawn out, but its information that I felt was necessary to the story and I felt she needed to know it.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 7 Happy New Year

"_C'mon, Mike, Let's go check out the party inside now," I said as I handed him the empty._

"_Sure, Bella, just let me get rid of this." He walked over to the dumpster and dropped the beer bottle inside. Then he came back and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close._

"_Ok, let's go," Mike said, and we started around the building. Mike glanced back at his friends. "See you inside," and waved to them as we walked away._

We walked around to the front of the building, and the doors were open. There was a table inside the door in the entry lobby. Mike handed the lady there some tickets, and she stamped our hands to show that we'd paid. There was a coat check, so we took off our coats and got a ticket to get them back later.

We went through another set of doors into the front annex of the gym. This was basically a big hallway with doors off of it leading to different rooms. I saw signs for restrooms, and there was a big concession stand. A couple of doors looked like they led to offices and equipment rooms. A sign on the wall directed people down a hallway to the weight room and listed other rooms down that hallway. There were a couple of stairways that led up to the second level bleachers, and than several large double doors that led out into the main gymnasium.

There was a band playing up on the stage, and they sounded pretty good. The lights on half the room were turned down low, and people were out on the floor dancing. The other half of the room was a little brighter, and there were big round tables setup with six or eight stackable chairs around each table. I spotted Alice and Jasper on the dance floor. They were heading for the tables as the band finished their set and announced a ten minute break.

"C'mon, Mike, Let's go say hi."

"Tanner and Dean are sitting over there at that other table," and he pointed it out. "Why don't we go say hi to them first?"

Hmm… I wasn't going to get trapped into this game already, and have him expect me to always want to hang out with his friends instead of mine.

"That's fine, Mike, go say hi to your friends. I'll see if I can find you when I get done over here," I was betting he wouldn't let me out of his sight, especially if I was going to go talk to the Cullen's.

"Oh… I'll see them later, I guess. Let's go say hi," he squeezed my hand a little tighter, not wanting to let me go.

"Ok, c'mon," and I let a little smirk turn up the corners of my mouth as I led the way over to Alice's table. Mike was such a guy. I might not have much experience, but I knew how to play this game.

"Hey, Alice, got room for two more? I asked when we got there. Alice and Jasper were sitting alone at the minute, but it looked like there had been a larger group here.

"Sure, Bella, plenty of room, pull up a seat. Have you been dancing yet?" Alice asked

"No, we just came inside… We were chatting with some friends outside."

"Chatting, huh… I was never much of one for beer. Do you want a real drink?"

"Umm… Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"You'll see… Mike, Bella wants a coke. Why don't you get yourself one too? Jazz, I'm thirsty too. Could you go with mike and get me a coke?"

"Sure, Alice, be right back darlin'. C'mon Mike, the ladies are thirsty." Mike looked like a fish out of water gasping for air for a minute, and then stood up to follow Jasper.

"So just how drunk are you?" Alice asked after the boys were gone.

"I'm not drunk, just pleasantly buzzed. I only had three beers. Don't you go and get me drunk, or Charlie will be pissed. He knows I party and he's cool with it as long as I can control it."

"Ok, I'll keep an eye on you. I was more worried about Newton. You know what they say, 'Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker'. It wouldn't be the first time he's gotten a girl a little too tipsy, and she woke up the next day wondering why did I let that happen?"

"Not going to happen, Alice, not 'til I'm ready."

"Umm… It's never 'happened'?"

"No… it hasn't. Never liked a guy enough yet, and I've never had a steady boyfriend."

"Wow…, you mean you're an honest to goodness card carrying virgin?"

"Yeah… I'm assuming that you aren't then?"

"No," Alice chuckled, "Not for a very long time. So, do you like Mike enough?"

"Maybe, I don't know yet. Mike is nice, and kinda cute. I'll just wait and see how things play out."

I was about to comment on Alice's statement, and ask how long, but she'd caught me off guard with her question. Mike and Jasper came back now, and I'd have to wait to talk to her about it. Mike set our drinks on the table, and then sat down next to me.

Was I really into Mike enough to even be thinking about that? I'd only known him for two days. This was first kiss territory, possibly make out territory if I was really into him, not should I have sex with him territory. Renee would go ballistic if she thought I was even considering it, but then she'd always been rather impulsive, and went with her gut. If it felt right why not…? Because I'm not that kind of girl… but then what kind of girl was I?

"Take a sip, Bella, and then hold you cup down here," and she nodded toward her lap.

I did what she said, and Alice produced a little bottle from out of her purse and poured from it into my coke. Mike handed me his cup, and Alice poured for him too.

"Just sip that for a while, and it'll keep your buzz going."

"Thanks' Alice." I took a sip, and coughed a little. It was good, but I was unfamiliar with the taste. I knew it was strong. "What is this?"

"Just a little rum and coke, Bacardi 151 rum, and coke is coke."

"Huh, remember what I told you…"

"Just sip it, don't guzzle, and you'll be fine."

We sat and chatted with Alice and Jasper, and I wondered why none of the rest of their family came to sit with us. I sipped my drink, and was definitely getting past the just nicely buzzed state. I still wouldn't call it drunk, but I was feeling the effect. The band was back on stage now, and they were starting another set. The first song was slow and romantic.

"C'mon, Jazz," Alice told him, "Let's go dance. You guys coming?"

"What do you say, Mike? Do you want to dance?"

"That's why we're here, c'mon."

I put down my cup, but it was mostly empty now, and left my purse under the table next to Alice's. That had been my real goal in heading over there in the first place, although I liked Alice's company and wanted her as a friend too. Mike took my hand, and led me out onto the dance floor. He turned to face me, and stared deeply into my eyes.

Mike put his right hand on the side of my left hip and his left hand gently grasped my right hand and held it up at about his shoulder-level. I placed my left arm on Mike's shoulder as we assumed the traditional ballroom dancing position. We started off standing about six or so inches apart. Close, but not really touching. We swayed to the music, and it felt nice to dance with Mike. I liked how he paid attention to me, and looked into my eyes.

"This is nice, Bella," Mike said. "Are you having a good time tonight?"

"Yes, I am. Thanks' for a great evening, Mike."

"It's my pleasure, Bella."

"So, dinner didn't freak you out too much, did it?"

"No, I'm cool with it if you are. Alice is actually pretty nice, once you get to know her."

"Yeah, I like Alice. We're going to be great friends."

"Am I your friend too?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, friends is good. I like you Mike."

The band played another slow song, and Mike moved my other hand onto his shoulder. He placed his hands on my hips, and pulled me closer to him, and I didn't resist. He felt good, and smelled good, and I wanted him to hold me closer as we swayed to the music.

He was gazing deeply into my eyes, and I was looking up into his. Then Mike was leaning in, and I felt his lips on mine. His mouth was slightly open as he gently pressed his lips over mine. His lips were warm and slightly moist when he kissed me, and they felt amazing. Our lips met as he pressed them gently over mine, and I felt myself returning the pressure. His lips moved in a slow, circular motion and I mine parted as my mouth opened to him and I kissed him back.

I felt Mike's lips open slightly more over mine than they had been during the start of the kiss. I felt the tip of his tongue touch my lower lip. Then my lips were opening and I felt the tip of Mike's tongue on the tip my tongue. The feeling was incredible and electric as our tongues played with his tongue circling my own. It was fun and I wanted more. I wanted to explore and feel his mouth with mine.

Then the moment passed. He was pulling away and I tried to hold him closer. I blushed as I realized where we were. Stealing a kiss was ok, but making out in the middle of the high school gym was over the line. We were still on a crowded dance floor, and people might look, but I knew I didn't care. I wanted more and I could feel the desire burn in me as the delicious coil wound tighter in my stomach and pooled in my core. I could feel the dampness in my panties, and wanted to squeeze my legs tight together, but we were dancing and I couldn't. My legs felt weak, and I held Mike tighter.

Mike wrapped his arms around me, and put his right hand on the small of my back. His left hand found its way to my upper back and traced slow circles between my shoulder blades. I snaked my arms around his neck, and laid my head on his shoulder. I was surprised that I didn't feel uncomfortable with how Mike was holding me. I knew it was too soon, and I should step back and revert to the safe position with more distance between us, but I didn't want to. I liked the closer dance position and wanted to hold him closer and clasped my hands behind his neck.

The band finished out the set playing slow dance songs, and it felt very comfortable pressing close to Mike's body. I released my death grip on his neck and we moved together nicely. I was a little embarrassed when I felt the hard bulge in the front of his pants pressing against me. Then I found out how nice it felt pressed into my middle and I spent several dances finding subtle ways to push against it with my hips. Mike caught on, and held his arms around my waist with his hands clasped behind me, holding me tight against him so the bulge ground against me as we moved together.

Then the set was over, and the band was announcing another break. I was a little disappointed. It was fun dancing with mike, but I figured we'd be able to dance some more when the band started back up. Mike took my hand, and I expected him to lead us back to the table. I could see Alice and Jasper headed that way, and it looked like more of their family had joined them. I was a little surprised when he turned me and we went another direction.

He leaned down, and whispered in my ear, "C'mon, Bella, let's go for a walk, and get away from the crowd," a thrill ran through me as he pressed a kiss on the side of my head above my ear. I nodded ok, and let him lead me away.

We went back out into the main entry way, and there were people milling around now that the band had stopped. Mike pulled me closer, and we moved through the light crowd. We turned down the hallway with the sign on the wall for the weight room. This hallway was much less crowded, and I wondered where we were going. Mike seemed to have some destination in mind. There was another darker empty hallway at the end of the first, and we turned the corner.

"Where are we going, Mike?" I asked, curious where he was taking me.

"Someplace where we can have some privacy… Are you scared? We can go back."

"No, this is alright. I'm just curious."

We went past a half glass door that said Weight Room, and I could see exercise equipment inside, but we kept going. Mike stopped at the next door. It said trainer on the little plastic sign on the door. Mike reached for the door knob, and it turned in his hand. He pushed the door open, and pulled me in behind him. I heard a click as the door shut, and I knew Mike had locked the door behind us.

He didn't turn on the light, but the room was dimly lit from a light back in the wire cage equipment locker across the room. I didn't really have time to study it. Mike's strong arms were pulling me to him, and they wrapped around me as his soft warm lips found mine again. I stopped thinking about the room or where the dim light was coming from.

Mike's hands were on my hips, and he was guiding me across the room as he nipped ay my lips. I felt something soft and firm brush against my calves, and then Mike was pulling me down with him to lie back against something soft. Stacked exercise mats or cushions of some sort? It didn't matter.

I was lying comfortably on my back and Mike was over me resting his weight on one elbow snuggled against my body. His hot hand caressed my cheek and jaw, and his warm moist lips were pressed to mine. I snaked my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair pulling him closer.

His lips opened slightly wider and I felt the tip of his tongue trace across my open lips. My lips parted and I felt the tip of Mike's tongue slip against the tip of my tongue again. Our tongues played with his circling mine and the feeling was just as incredible and electric as it had been on the dance floor.

I was feeling the buzz of the alcohol relaxing my inhibitions and felt energized as Mike's body pressed against me and his warm moist lips moved on mine. The movement was light and gentle as our tongues met and moved against each other, teasing and exploring. I was excited and I wanted more. Mike wasn't pulling back this time, and our kiss deepened and became more ardent.

His kisses were harder and more passionate as his warm lips moved on mine and our tongues tangled and slipped against each other. It was slick and sweet and velvety. I lost myself in the moment giving complete attention to the kiss.

He broke the kiss, letting me pant to catch my breath and his warm cheek nuzzled against mine. My hands moved down to caress the hard muscles of his shoulders and arms. He kissed the hollow beneath my ear, and I felt his hot breath against the side of my neck.

He trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips. I greeted him willingly as he tenderly sucked my bottom lip between his for a second. Then my arms were snaking around his neck and my hands cradled his head as my finger tangled back into his hair pulling him closer. Time seemed to stand still as we kissed and touched. Caressing his face, my neck, his hair, as our hands explored and his lips moved on mine. We moved together in rhythm as the passion hummed through our bodies and I lost myself in the sensations coursing through me.

I felt Mike's hand move over me as it trailed down my side. His fingertips traced down the side of my ribcage, and grazed across the edge of my breast. His weight settled on me, pressing me down into the cushions without crushing me, and I liked the feel of it. His legs moved between mine as he pressed between my hips, and I could feel the hard bulge in his pants grind against me through the thin layers of fabric that separated us.

His hand settled on my hip and then caressed up onto my stomach. I felt his fingers working at the buckle of the accent belt around my waist. I reached down and placed my hand on his to still his fingers. This was fun, but I knew we were moving too fast. I was moving too fast.

Mike broke the kiss, and I panted to catch my breath. His lips kissed along my jaw line to the hollow beneath my ear. I gently stroked the short hair on the back of his neck and I felt his hot breath against my ear.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked. His lips trailed wet kisses down the column of my neck. His lips pressed against my pulse point and gently sucked and a little whimper of pleasure escaped my lips.

My hand moved off of his. I knew why he had to undo the buckle on my belt around my waist. He couldn't reach under my shirt with it still fastened. I could go a little further tonight. I knew when to stop. "No, don't stop," I breathed against his ear. He trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips, and then his lips were back on mine. I forgot why I had protested and was lost in the moment again as his tongue danced with mine.

I felt Mike's hand on my hip again, and his fingers found the hem of my shirt. I felt his hand move upward again, and then his hot hand caressed across the bare skin of my stomach inside my loose silk shirt. I felt his hot fingertips graze across the edge of my ribcage, and then inch higher.

His hand moved higher, and his fingers were tracing the edge of my bra. He kissed me hard and his tongue danced with mine. My head was spinning and I felt alive and confident as the passion swept me away. Mike's hand moved higher, and he was cupping my breast with his hot hand. He squeezed gently but firmly, and his thumb stroked across my nipple through the lacy fabric. It felt like his touch was hard wired to my core as the sensation flashed through me. I arched my back into his touch, and I felt the coil in my stomach wind tighter.

His other hand quickly slid into my shirt behind me as I arched forward to press my breast into his palm, and I felt his fingers pinch and twist to release the clasp on my bra. His hands moved on my chest, exploring and caressing as he lifted my loose blouse and the cups of my bra out of the way. I was already this far, no sense playing shy now. Mike pushed my shirt up, exposing my chest. His strong hands pulled the loose strip of lacy fabric of my strapless bra away my body, and then he let it drop onto the cushions beside me.

His thumbs stroked across my bare nipples as they tightened into hard pebbles and a shudder ran through my body as I settled back against the fabric of the cushions. He leaned forward and kissed my chest as my hands caressed up and down his sides and then moved onto the buttons on the front of his shirt. He let me get it open as his strong hands fondled me, then his mouth moved back onto me as he leaned back in.

His tongue licked across me and swirled around my nipple, and I shuddered again when his lips closed around it in a kiss and he lightly sucked on it. His lips and tongue left a trail of wet kisses across my chest as he found the hard pebble of my nipple on my other breast and gave it the same treatment.

My hands moved up onto his strong shoulders and caressed the bare skin of his back inside his shirt as he kissed my chest and worshiped my breasts. He was kissing my erect nipples and fondling my breasts as his hips moved against mine, grinding his hard cock between my legs. My arms encircled his shoulders and neck, pulling him against me as the incredible sensations flashed through my breasts and nipples to my core.

Then Mike's hand was moving lower as his hot hand traced fire across my stomach to my hip. His hand was stroking up and down my thigh as his lips kissed up my chest to my collar bone. I felt my skirt inching higher as he kissed up the column of my neck. Maybe this was going too far… I was moving way to fast, but playing above the waist was fun and ok…

He trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips, and then his lips were back on mine as his left hand cupped my breast. His kisses were insistent and loving as his hot lips moved on mine and our tongues twisted and slipped against each other. It was smooth and sweet and silky. I lost myself in the moment letting his kisses sweep me away. Mikes fingertips tenderly traced circles on the inside of my knee…

The inside of my knee…? Our tongues danced and moved against each other, teasing and exploring. I was excited and I wanted more… too much… The fingertips were tracing up the inside of my thigh… too far… His thumb and fingers gently squeezed my nipple and a shudder ran through my core as I moaned against his lips. Mikes hot fingertips caressed the creamy bare skin on the inside of my thigh above my hose…

I broke the kiss and nuzzled Mike's cheek. "Mike, wait…" I moaned as his hot hand squeezed my breast and his thumb stroked across my pebbled nipple. His hand moved between my legs onto my crotch and he cupped my sex as his hand pressed against the tiny triangle of my panties. I panted against his neck as I tried to catch my breath, and my head swam with arousal.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked as his strong hand firmly massaged my mound and the coil in the pit of my stomach wound tighter.

"We shouldn't go any farther…" I moaned against his neck. It was noncommittal and the sensations coursing through my body felt so good… I knew I should tell him to stop...

"Your panties are wet, Bella, and you feel so hot…" His thumb was stroking circles around my nipple as he kissed down my throat and nipped at my neck. He sucked on my throat and licked up to the hollow beneath my ear as his hand ground into my core…

Our tongues danced and moved against each other, teasing and exploring as Mike's open lips moved back onto mine. His kisses were tender and amorous as his hot lips moved on mine and our tongues entwined and slipped against each other. Time seemed to stand still as the passion swept me away. My full attention was on his kisses as his lips moved on mine…

Mike was rubbing up against the inside of my thighs as he moved around between my legs and his hand stroked my sopping panties. It felt different… Mike felt different… His hand wasn't on my breast anymore… My hands left his shoulders and neck and stroked down his body. My hands caressed across the bare skin of his tight butt… Wait… when did his pants end up bunched around his knees…?

"Oh my god…" I moaned. "Wait Mike… this is too far…" I reached down to stop his hand…

Mike captured my wrist, and moved my hand onto his erection. My fingers wrapped around his hard cock… I'd never touched a boy like this before… I'd only ever even seen one once before… I pushed that thought away. I gripped Mike's hard cock and his hand moved my hand on him. It was a completely new feeling, and I liked it. It felt exhilarating and gave me a sense of power to be able to make him feel like I did too.

"Let me touch you first…" he whispered into my ear. "We won't go any farther than you want… you're so hot…" His lips were kissing along my jaw line toward my lips as the heel of his hand ground into me and stroked between my legs… He already had his hand on my panties with only the thin cotton fabric separating us and I was touching him. I guess a little farther was…

"Ok…" I moaned. How far could he go?

He couldn't take my panties off unless he unfastened the garter belt… He didn't need to... Mike's fingertips slid under the wet cotton fabric of the crotch of my panties, and then he was pulling the wet triangle of fabric to the side, exposing my sex as though I wasn't even wearing any panties.

His fingers caressed up the hot wet bare skin of my sex and teased through the fringe of curly hairs as he stroked and explored and probed. He was tracing his finger up and down along the center of my folds. I didn't realize his hand had moved off of mine until I felt his hand under my other knee. He lifted it as he spread my legs, and both of his knees were between mine now… Too far, Bella… time to stop…

Mike's finger pressed into me… I moaned as his finger sank between my folds and caressed inside of my hot sex. His finger stroked back and forth inside my sex slipping through my lower lips wet and slippery with my arousal. He pressed a second finger in, and then his fingers were spreading my lips apart. His middle finger tip found my opening, and pressed deeper inside. I moaned against his lips as he pressed in to the first knuckle… Way too far, now… I should tell him to stop…

"God, Bella, you're so tight…" Mike moaned against my neck. His fingertip slipped out caressing up from my opening, and stroked across my clit as it poked out of its hood. An electric jolt flashed through me as I reveled in the sensation of pure pleasure and carnal lust.

"Oh god… Mike, that's so good…" I panted against his neck.

"You like that…" His finger stroked circles around my throbbing clit. He caressed lower and his finger pressed into me again and then pulled out to slide back up to circle my clit.

"Yesss…" I moaned… Wait… That was wrong. We were supposed to stop…

My eyes were closed tight as my head was thrown back and I groaned. The sensations pulsing through my core felt so good… So much better than when I touched myself… His finger was stroking my clit… The sensation was incredible… I felt my climax building as Mike petted me… My hand was fondling Mike…

I stroked my hand along his length, and my fingers explored his cock. Mike reached down to support himself over me as my hand stroked his erect penis. My hand slid lower and I cupped his balls, then I wrapped my hand around him and gently stroked along the length his shaft. The palm of my hand stroked over the bulbous head, and he moaned.

Ok, I wasn't going to stop now… I was too close to the edge, and I was lying to myself if I said I didn't want this too. I wanted to climax and reach my peak. I needed to finish now, but that didn't mean I had to have sex with Mike. We could get there, and both get off, but we didn't need to go all the way to have some fun…

"Harder, Bella, squeeze your hand tighter…" I did what Mike said, and he moaned as I gripped him tighter and stroked up and down. I matched my rhythm to his finger stroking circles around my clit. I was afraid I'd hurt him, it seemed too dry… I'd shared stories with my girlfriends, and watched some movies… I needed lubrication…

He groaned when I let go…

I raised my hand to my mouth, and licked my palm to wet it but it didn't seem like enough. I spit into my hand, then reached back down and stroked Mike's hard cock again… It was slippery now, and my hand moved easier…

"God, Bella, that's so hot…" Mike moaned as I stroked his hard cock faster.

His finger was stroking me faster now, caressing my sex with his hand… I was so close… His fingers on my clit were fantastic, and I was bucking my hips into his hand now.

I was pumping his hot dick, and Mike's hips were bucking against me as I stroked him.

"Oh god… That's so good… Bella, wait… Let me get… a condom out…" Mike panted out as I stroked him faster and harder.

"No, Mike…" Finally, I got the right response out.

"We need… a condom… I don't… want to get you … pregnant…"

That was nice of him. At least he was thinking about me in the heat of the moment, but I wasn't going to let it get that far.

"No Mike… We can't… not all the way… Let's just… get there like this… ok?"

Mike moaned as I pumped his dick hard and fast. I was so close to the edge… I wanted to get him there first… I trusted Mike, but if I was incoherent with bliss, he might seize the moment so to speak. I didn't want him to just go for it, and then tell me he was sorry later. He was over me between my legs, if I lost it he could just push his cock into me, and that would be it. This was far enough.

"Alright, Bella… this is good… toooo…" Mike panted as my hand pumped up and down on his cock.

"God, Mike… that's soooo good…" I panted as he slipped his finger into me again and pressed deeper into my sopping wet pussy. His finger pulled out of me and stroked circles across my clit.

"I'm almost there… Bella… I'm gonna cum…!" Mike panted.

I felt his body tense and Mike grunted as I wrapped my hand around the head of his dick and squeezed. Mike exploded into my hand and his cum shot out of the end of his cock. It was white and slippery, as his cock pulsed a couple more times and I felt his hot cum shoot into my palm. I'd caught most of his ejaculation as his orgasm exploded out the end of his cock, and I didn't let it spray onto me. I felt it drip through my fingers as the overflow dribbled onto my crotch.

I stroked his cock with his slippery cum, and his cock twitched in my hand.

Thank god Mike had the presence of mind to keep stroking me as he shot his load. I was so close, but I'd been holding back waiting for Mike to catch up. I let go when he came, and my own orgasm crashed through me.

I bit my lower lip so I wouldn't scream. I wanted to yell but I moaned loud as I clenched tight around Mike's finger as he pushed it back in and buried it deep inside me. He pressed his thumb against my clit as it throbbed and pulsed under his touch. I felt a flood of wetness, my toes curled inside my shoes and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge into the throes of my orgasm…

I was panting hard and I forced myself to take deep breaths to try and calm down as the heavenly bliss spread through me. This was so much better than when I touched myself…

Mike pulled his finger out of me one last time, and I let go of his softened cock. We had to deal with the messy realities of getting each other off like this now. Mike got up, and told me he'd get something to help us clean up. It must not be far, his pants were still around his knees as he reached for a shelf behind us.

I was lying there on the cushions with a handful of Mike's cum, and I was curious. Renee and I had talked about this before, when she was having her detailed sex talk with me. I knew I'd probably be in a situation where the question would come up someday, and I'd asked here what cum tasted like. Renee didn't have a ton of experience, but she'd had her share of boyfriends over the years. She didn't have a good answer for me at the time. She just said it depended on the guy, and they all tasted different. I had the perfect opportunity to get my own answer now.

I dipped my finger in it, and raised it to my mouth to find out for myself. It wasn't too bad. Not gross like I'd gag on it, but it wasn't anything I'd go out of my way for either. Kind of salty and slippery like thick runny egg whites. When the time came to move things to the next level, at least it wouldn't totally gross me out.

I heard Mike give a little moan, like he'd been watching and seen what I'd done, and he liked it. He was back with a couple of towels, and he was wiping his hands as he turned back to me. He sat back down on the cushions next to me and helped me clean up with another towel he brought for me. I wiped my lipstick off of his cheek and neck, and Mike helped me clean up my face before moving on to the rest. Once the sticky wet was dealt with, Mike lay down with me and took me in his arms.

He leaned in and kissed me, and we spent some time gently nipping and caressing and tenderly exploring each other. We'd been gone a long time, but I could still hear the music in the gym, and the party was still going.

After a while, I said, "maybe we should get back to the party, Mike. People will notice that we're gone…"

"Ok, let me help you…" and mike reach down beside us and got my bra for me.

I arranged my clothes to make myself presentable, and Mike pulled up his pants and buttoned his shirt. Thank god there didn't appear to be any stains or obvious wet spots on my clothes. I was sure that Mike had lipstick on his shirt, but it was a dark color and the lipstick wouldn't stand out. Mike took my hand and we walked to the door. He unlocked it, and cracked it open to look out, then pulled it open and we walked out into the hallway.

We went back to the gym, and the band was playing. People were dancing, and the table was empty. I grabbed my purse, and told Mike I was going to the ladies room. He took my hand and walked with me, and he went into the men's room when I went into the ladies. Michaela was standing at the counter, but the room looked empty otherwise.

"Well, you two were sure gone for a long time," she commented with a smirk on her face. "Was it fun?" she asked.

My hands felt slippery as I washed the traces of Mike's dried cum off of my hands. My lips were red and swollen from kissing Mike, and my face was flushed from the intimacy we had shared as I looked at myself in the mirror. There was no sense in denying that I had been alone with Mike, and I wasn't embarrassed about what had happened.

"Yes, it was fun."

"So are you two a couple now?"

"No, I told Mike I'm not looking for a boyfriend. It's just a date… I told him I don't want commitments or to be tied down. We're just friends."

"Well, you better make sure he knows that. Guys can get so possessive when you just want to have a little fun. You two looked pretty serious out on the dance floor, and now you come back looking like you just seriously rocked his world. Just how far did you go?"

"Far enough…"

"Still got that V card?"

"Yes! C'mon, we're at a party, there are people around…"

"Wouldn't be the first time, and you guys were gone long enough. So, did you blow him?"

"Michaela! No, I didn't…"

"But you didn't just make out with him. C'mon, Bella, you smelled like sex when you walked in, and not just girl smells. You looked like you fucked him. So how far did you go?"

"Ok… I touched him and made him come…"

"Hand job, not bad. And he was a gentleman and returned the favor?"

I blushed as I fixed my makeup. "Yes, he did… It was really nice."

"I'll bet it was. My advice, go for the blow job next time. Not so messy to clean up after if you swallow, and it's really not that bad once you try it. It's even better when the guy returns the favor. His tongue down there is so much better than just his hand, and his tongue and his hand will totally blow your mind."

"Thanks', I'll think about that, but this is farther than I've ever gone before. I didn't think I'd even do this so soon after meeting a guy…"

"You liked it, right? He didn't force you?"

"No, I wanted everything that happened. He stopped when I told him. It was incredible…"

"Ok, so if it's fun, and it's what you want, why hold back if it makes you feel good?"

"I don't know. I'm just going at my own pace. I'm not ready for everything yet…"

"That's cool, Bella. Only you know what you're ready for. I'm glad you had fun."

"So how far did you go with Dean?" I asked

"We've just been dancing so far tonight, but we're gonna go park after the party. I wish I was on the pill too instead of having to use condoms."

"Wow, did you? You know, last night after the races?"

"You mean did I fuck him? Oh yeah, that was good… Dean has a nice big back seat. Not like that little sports car of Mike's."

"Wow, How long have you guy's been together?"

"We're not together. He isn't my boyfriend. We're just friends like you and Mike. You know, friends with benefits… We date sometimes. I go out with other guys too, but I don't have sex with all of them. It depends on the guy, and how well I know him. I'm not getting trapped here in Forks either. If we end up at the same college, then cool, but he knows I'm not looking for a commitment right now."

I was done fixing my makeup, and I didn't have that freshly fucked look now. My hair was a little wild, but it wasn't tangled or messy as I looked at myself in the mirror. Looking at Michaela was kind of like looking in the mirror too. She was living her life the way I said I wanted to. She was doing the things I said I wanted to do. It seemed to be working out for her, but seeing it in real life made me wonder if that was really what I wanted.

I didn't think any less of her, and I considered her to be my friend. We shared a lot of secrets, and I was maybe even a little envious that she could so confidently see exactly what she wanted, and then made it happen. I just didn't know if that was really what I wanted yet, despite talking a good game.

I so wasn't into casual sex. At least I didn't think I was. What about what had happened with Mike? I'd stopped him before we went all the way, but it so easily could have happened. It was what he wanted, and what would have happened if I hadn't spoken up to put on the brakes. If I kept going out with him, he'd probably expect to keep going at least as far as we'd gone tonight. That might not be such a bad thing. Maybe I'd get up the nerve to try some of the things Michaela had talked about. I wasn't ready to have sex with him, but oral wasn't that much more than what we'd already done and it would be tidier and easier to hide if we didn't have to figure out what to do with Mike's cum when we were done.

Michaela and I walked out of the ladies room, and Mike and Dean were waiting for us. Mike came and took my hand, and kissed my cheek. We walked back into the party, and found seats with Mike's friends. Michaela and Dean sat with us, and Angela and Ben were at the next table with Haley and Lucas.

We chatted with our friends and people that I'd met, and I got to know people better. They asked me about Phoenix, and I repeated the stories I had told Mike. I asked about Forks and learned more about the high school and which teachers the kids liked and who they didn't. The guys talked about the basketball season and their odds of making it into the playoffs. They talked about racing and drifting and cars. I mentioned I was looking for a car to buy and got several offers of help with the search.

I danced with Mike again when the band started another set, and they played faster songs now. It felt good to cut loose and move to the music. I felt energized and alive and it felt good to brush up against Mike. We touched and moved to the music as we'd come together to bump and grind, and then move apart again teasing and flirting. It was fun and I was having a good time.

Alice caught my eye and smiled at me across the dance floor. I think she was disappointed that I hadn't come back to her table after I disappeared with Mike, but I felt that she understood, and I knew we were going to be friends. Here family was with her now. She was dancing with the big guy, Emmett, and Jasper was sitting at the table watching with a huge smile on his face. Edward was dancing with Rosalie, and there was another couple with them that I hadn't seen before.

They had to be part of Alice's family because of their exquisite beauty and ethereal grace as they moved together on the dance floor. I assumed the tall blond man had to Alice's adopted father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. The woman with the long caramel colored hair and piercing blue eyes had to be his wife, Esme. They both seemed to be much too young to be the parents of five teenagers. They looked like they were in their mid-twenties, and could have easily passed for older siblings.

I had heard all the stories about how the Cullen family came together and the basis of their relationships as adoptive parents, adopted siblings, foster children and the few purported blood relationships. Knowing what I did, I assumed most of it was made up back stories to give them excuses to fit into human society. I was really curious what their true relationships were and why they stayed together. I knew how close Alice and Jasper appeared to be as a couple, and I wondered if Edward and Rosalie's and Carlisle and Esme's relationships were as strong. Carlisle and Esme seemed to be very close and loving as I watched them dance. Edward and Rosalie seemed like the perfect couple as they moved together on the dance floor, as though they were so in tune to each other that they could anticipate each others every move.

The set ended, and it was getting close to midnight. The band would come back out for another set of songs, and then the count down to New Year's Day. Mike and I walked back to our table, but I didn't even have time to sit down when I left to go to the ladies room with Angela, Haley, and Michaela. I took my purse with me, but I really did need to answer natures call this time. I came out of the stall, and washed my hands and touched up my makeup. I looked around, and it was just the four of us in the ladies room.

"Angela," I started, and she turned to look at me. "I was meaning to ask you, but do the colors that I could see in all of your auras have any particular meaning? Some of the colors were the same with each of you, and some were different."

"Well, Bella, we probably don't have time to go into it in depth tonight. There have been many books written on the subject, and there are people that devote there lives to studying the subtle differences, but I can give you a general idea of the basics."

"Ok…"

"C'mon, Bella, let's go for a walk, and we can talk."

We went back out into the lobby, collected our coats, and went outside so we could have some privacy to talk. I wanted to have a cigarette anyhow, so we had a good excuse.

"You probably noticed that most of the auras that you could see had a primary band close to the body that was stronger around the head and the middle of the chest. This is what most adepts refer to as the life color. Typically the life color will remain rather constant while the other colors in most people's auras are constantly changing as the react to their environment, and their light reflects their emotional state."

"Yeah, that's a pretty good description of what I could see. So what do the different colors mean?"

"Ok, bear with me as I run down through the list."

"Sure no problem…"

"Ok, reds are physical and sexual. They love expressing themselves through their sensuality and their physical bodies. A band of red overlaying the rest of the aura is an indicator of emotional pain and unresolved issue that plague the persons mind and wear heavy on their soul."

"Oranges are the thrill-seekers and daredevils of the aura spectrum. They love the challenge and excitement of physical danger. Orange also represents change when it's present in the auras of people that have a different primary color band."

"Magentas are rare and not commonly found these days. Magentas are the nonconformists in the aura spectrum. They are usually seen as bizarre loners."

"Yellows are the most fun-loving, free-spirited, energetic, and childlike personalities in the aura spectrum. Yellows are wonderful, sensitive, optimistic beings, whose life purpose is to bring joy to people, to have fun, and to help heal the planet."

"There is a whole family of permutations of tan."

"Haley is a good example of an environmental tan. Her life color is a deep tan-colored band layered with a forest-green-colored band. The environmental tan is the bridge between the physical family and the mental family. Environmental tans experience their reality by physically touching their environment and then mentally analyzing it."

"In my opinion, you and Michaela are both what most adepts would describe as sensitive tans. Sensitive tans are the bridge between the mental colors and the emotional colors. Their auras are a combination of a light tan color with a light blue band next to it that encircles the body. Their personalities are a subtle combination of the mental tan qualities and the emotional blue qualities. Sensitive tans incorporate the characteristics of mental, analytical logic with loving and intuitive compassion."

"Greens are some of the most powerful and intelligent people in the aura spectrum. Greens are extremely bright. They process information and ideas quickly. Greens recognize patterns and discover solutions very quickly. Greens are very drawn to money, power, and business, but many doctors and healers have this color in their aura. These quick-thinkers are very organized and efficient. Bright green is healthy and represents vitality and health. Darker blackish green can be representative of what you would call a tendency towards evil and is a sign of darkness. Not all dark green is evil, but can indicate that the person is on the borderline and walks a fine line between the dark and the light."

"Blues are some of the most loving, nurturing and supportive personalities of the life colors. They live from their heart and emotions. Blues are traditionally teachers, counselors, and nurses-basically the loving, nurturers and caretakers. Blues are constantly helping others. They want to make sure that everyone feels loved and accepted. They consistently provide a shoulder for others to cry on."

"Violets are the inspirational visionaries, leaders and teachers who are here to help. Most Violets feel drawn to educate the masses, to inspire higher ideals, to improve the quality of life or to help save people, animals and the environment. All Violets have an inner sense that they are here to do something important, that their destiny is greater than that of the average person."

"Lavenders tend to live in a fantasy world. It is challenging for these airy beings to live in three-dimensional reality. Lavenders prefer imaginary pictures of the world, seeing butterflies, flowers and wood nymphs rather than dirt, concrete and large cities."

"Indigos are here to live as examples of a new higher awareness. Indigos are ushering in a new energy, a new consciousness, and a new age of peace and harmony. Indigos are old souls who know who they are and where they've come from."

"Wow, that is a lot of information to process. So, what does the relative strength and brightness of the aura tend to indicate about someone then?"

"Well, most of the time, the rest of us don't even see other peoples auras when we use the sight. We can see faint patterns of energy, our own auras and the auras of people that we're familiar with and deal with on a regular basis. We can perceive the flow of energy within the circle during rituals, to allow us to manipulate it."

"You were an exception to what we've come to expect as normal because you stand out so brightly to all of us, and we knew you would be very powerful. We were amazed that you had no training at all. If you can see auras all the time, then I guess the brightness would indicate how powerful someone is."

"So, you're saying that if we went back inside, and you slipped into the sight, you wouldn't be able to see every aura in the room?"

"No, I wouldn't… I'd see Ben and Haley and Michaela because I'm used to working with them and I'm familiar with their energy. You would stand out, but the rest of the people in the room would just be people in the room… Could you see every aura in the room, Bella?"

"Well, I haven't tried it, but I think I would, based on what I saw this afternoon."

"Wow, this is so amazing. I've been studying for years, and your natural talent is just so incredible…"

"Maybe, but I don't know anything… I've got a feeling that experience, training, and knowledge will get you a lot further in this business than simple raw ability will."

"Well, don't worry, I'll see that you get training and knowledge, but experience takes time."

"Thanks', Ange, Let's head back inside before they start the count down. I don't want next year to take me by surprise."

"Sure, Bella, I need to kiss Ben a happy New Year, so we better hurry."

I dropped my cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it out, and we went back inside. We didn't bother checking our coats, and just took them inside with us. We went back to the tables, and I just had to give this a try.

I tried to slip back into the slightly out of focus sight like I had this afternoon, but it wouldn't come to me. I thought maybe I was concentrating too hard, and then I remembered the card that Angela had given me this morning. I opened my purse, and held the card where I could see it inside, with out taking it out. I didn't want Mike or anyone else to ask me what I was looking at. I concentrated on the two dots, and let them slip out of focus until there were four. Then brought the images together until there were three dots, and suddenly my perspective changed.

I was right, I could see every aura in the room, but most of them were faint and tenuous at best. Mike stood out next to me with his red aura apparent to me. I had to assume that he was so obvious to me because of the intimacy that we had shared, and I was 'in tune' with him right now. Angela, Ben, Haley, and Michaela stood out like they had this afternoon.

I wasn't really surprised when I scanned the room, and noticed another flare of bright light. The Cullen's table stood out like a beacon across the room, but it surprised me just how strong it was, and that Angela wasn't more suspicious of them.

Carlisle's aura was bright green, with a faint underlying band of red. It was brilliant and luminous, and at least as bright as Angela's. All of the rest of the Cullen's had very strong red bands in the life colors of their auras, but a few of them stood out from the rest. Edward's aura was as brilliant as Carlisle's but it almost throbbed with a darkly malevolent green luminosity that almost pulsed into black, and was overlaid with another darker red. Alice didn't surprise me with her bright yellow, but she had a healthy green glow swirling through it. Jasper had a healthy dose of orange, and Esme was a brilliant blue, although neither was as bright as Carlisle, Edward or Alice.

The band started to play another slow song, and Mike startled me when he pressed a kiss beneath my ear and asked me if I wanted to dance. The other couples were getting up and heading for the dance floor, so I took his hand and let him lead me. I tried to push the sight away, and focus like normal. It was a little annoying that I couldn't manage it on my own yet, and my eyes stayed stubbornly focused on that extra layer of reality that was there but most people ignored. I sighed; it was a new skill and would take practice to master.

Mike took me in his arms, and I laid my head on his shoulder as we swayed to the music. My eyes were open, and I watched the patterns of energy swirl through the room like a light show in a dance club. I started to understand some of the significance of some of the energy the longer I watched. I could see how my aura around me disrupted the flow of some of the patterns in the room. There was a faint tracery of silver threads that seemed to emanate from everyone in the room. Everyone but me, but then I looked around. There were no threads coming from Angela or Ben, Haley, or Michaela. I studied the pattern, and the faint tracery of silver threads converged on Edward Cullen.

I was curious now about what was going on. I surreptitiously reached out to the faint tracery of silver threads, and captured one with my finger. It seemed drawn to my finger as soon as I made the conscious effort to reach out and touch it. I wrapped it around my finger, and it merged into my aura. Suddenly I was nearly overcome by a loud cacophony of sound. I recoiled from the onslaught of what suddenly seemed as though everyone for literally miles around was suddenly screaming their every random thought into my head.

My hand jerked away from the thread like I'd been shocked, although I only felt a mild tingling in my fingertip, and I instinctively moved to ward myself from the onslaught. The connection was broken, and the noise screaming through my head cut off, but my ward sent a burst of energy into the thread. Suddenly the entire network of the faint silver threads pulsed brighter for a second, and then shattered and collapsed.

Oops, maybe I should wait to experiment until I had Angela around to ask questions.

I heard a gasp from across the room, and my eyes were drawn to Edward Cullen again as Mike and I swayed to the music with my head on Mike's shoulder while we danced. We turned slowly as we danced and I could see Edward again now. He looked like he was in pain as his one hand massaged his temple, and his body language spoke of agony, but his eyes were wary as he scanned the room for potential threats. His other hand glowed darkly with an angry pulsing dark green and black light and I knew instinctively that he was prepared to lash out at the attacker that had struck at him through the silver network bringing the pain of the assault. He didn't seem to know that it was me that had collapsed the network of faint silver threads, and I was thankful that I had escaped detection for my faux pas.

Well, maybe not entirely. Edward was glaring at me now, but he didn't look like he was going to attack me. Alice and Jasper had rushed to his side when he gasped with pain and they were talking to him. Then Carlisle and Esme were with them, and the angry pulsing dark green and black light in his hand dissipated and faded.

The moment passed and the tension seemed to flow out of the room. The song ended, and then somebody was announcing that it was almost midnight and they were about ready for the countdown. Servers were circulating through the room with trays full of glasses. Mike grabbed us two, and I sipped it. It looked like champagne, but it was just sparkling white grape juice. Oh well, we were in the high school gym, after all. This was America, and we'd always been a little repressed about serving alcoholic beverages in public places or to minors. Heck, even beer had been outlawed at one point in our history, and the legal drinking age was almost universally twenty-one now in almost all of the states.

Somebody tapped the mike to get the crowds attention, and we turned to look at the stage. The MC announced thirty seconds and an excited babble filled the room. The crowd seemed to shift and mill around as groups of friends gathered together to celebrate the arrival of the impending new year. Mike's friends gathered around us, and Michaela was there with Dean. Angela and Ben stood with them and Haley and Lucas. Tyler and Lauren were there, and then I saw Jessica Stanley walk over to them, hanging off of some guy I didn't know.

She made a show of ignoring Mike and I, but her hair was slightly disheveled and mussed. Her makeup was smudged and her lips were red and swollen. Her face was flushed, and her clothes looked as though they had been hastily rearranged to a semblance of order. It looked like there was a darker damp spot on the back of her skirt, and she smelled like she was returning from a heavy make out session from the scent of arousal and sex that followed her into the room. I blushed and wondered if that was what I had looked like when I walked into the ladies room when I talked to Michaela earlier. I was definitely going to have to work on looking better than that when I dated. Charlie was a cop, and he'd pick up on all those little details if I came home from a date looking like that.

The MC was counting down now into the mike on the stage. The Drummer was helping out, and there was a drum roll to help heighten the anticipation. The crowd got into the act when he got to ten and took up the chant…

TEN!

NINE!

EIGHT!

SEVEN!

SIX!

FIVE!

FOUR!

THREE!

TWO!

ONE!

"Happy New Year!" chorused throughout the room, and we raised our glasses of sparkling white grape juice, and toasted the New Year.

Mike grabbed me, and wrapped me in his arms. His lips were on mine as he kissed me, and the kiss turned passionate as his tongue danced with mine. He stepped back and broke the kiss, but kept his arm around me as people cheered and streamers and confetti filled the air. The band rolled into Auld Lang Syne, and people started to sing along.

The party started to rapidly wind down once midnight actually can and went. The band played a couple of slow songs after New Years, but then finished their set, and they were done for the night. They took a short brake, and then started to tear down.

Mike walked me back to the table, and we collected our things. We told our friends good night, and I told Angela I'd call her tomorrow, or later today I guessed. Mike helped me into my coat, and we went to get his from the coat check. There was a line, but we finally made it out to the car. Mike held my door for me, and I got in. He got into the driver seat, and was reaching for the key.

"Mike, wait a minute, I wanted to talk about tonight…"

"Ok, Bella, at least let me turn on the heater," Mike said. He started the car and sat back. He turned and looked into my eyes and smiled. "Did you have a good time tonight?"

"Yes, I really enjoyed myself, and I had a lot of fun, but I wasn't really expecting things to go as far as they did. I liked it, and it was incredible, but you understand that's as far as I want to go for now, ok?"

"Sure, Bella, I understand. I'm sorry if I pushed you to go farther than you wanted to go. You seemed like you were into it, so I just rolled with it."

"No, don't be sorry, I'm cool with it. I wanted everything that happened. It's just more than I thought I wanted."

"So you'll go out with me again? You're not pissed off, right?"

"Sure, Mike, this was fun, and I'll go out with you, but you know we're just friends, right? What I said last night still stands. I'm not looking for a boyfriend, and I don't want anything to tie me down when I decide to leave Forks."

"I'm ok with that if you are… Most girls are just the opposite. They won't give you the time of day unless you're ready to tell them you love them, and you want to be with them forever."

"Yeah, I'm still working out the details on that, but I am so not ready to be in love with anyone, and I know I don't want a steady boyfriend until I'm in college. I'm trying to minimize the high school drama by avoiding the breakup scenes. You know what you want, and I know what I want and how far I'm willing to go. Why do we need to pretend like it's going to last forever, when we both know it isn't?"

"I guess that's a pretty good attitude, if you can get people to forget about the old fashioned double standard. I know where you're coming from, and what you're getting at, but a lot of guys think girls with that kind of attitude are 'easy'. Don't get me wrong, I respect you, and I know better than to think that way, but a lot guy's just do."

"Yeah, I get it. But that's just something I'll have to deal with. I won't be going out with any of those guys. Their loss. You're cool with this, though, right?"

"Friends is cool… so friends with benefits? I'm not starting over from scratch every time we go out, right?"

"No, as long as you recognize the limits I set, then you're not starting over, but you know you don't have any hold on me right? If I want to go out with other guys I will. I won't stand for any caveman bullshit, and have you telling people I'm your girl or something."

"Ok, that might be hard, but if that's how you want it, I'll deal with it. The same goes for me too, right? You won't be pissed off at me if I go out with another girl?"

"No, the same rules go for you. I'm not gonna make you do anything I don't expect for myself. We're friends, and we date, but I'm not your girlfriend. If I can go out with other guys, you can too." I grinned at Mike.

"Gee, Thanks, Bella, but I'm not into guys…"

I laughed. "I'm just teasing, you know what I mean. I'm cool with it."

"Just so we're clear, if I wanted to ask another girl out, you'd be ok with that?

"Yeah, as long as you don't get pissed off if I go out with other guys."

"Yeah, ok, I guess so if that's what you want. We're friends, and we date, but I'm not your boyfriend."

"Thanks, Mike, now the other thing I wanted to discuss was about work. I'm starting Wednesday night, and we're gonna be working together. Work and our personal lives have to stay separate. Work is work, and if you ask me out on a date, then the date is a date. They're not the same thing, and don't expect me to act like I'm on a date when I'm at work. Ok? When we're at work, don't try to kiss me, or treat me different than anyone else at work, alright?"

"Ok, but I can still look at you, right? That might make it harder, but I'll live with that."

"Mike! You're gonna be ok with this, right?"

"Yeah, I get it. No special treatment, and keep my hands to myself."

"Thanks Mike. We can make this work, and I really did have a good time tonight."

"I did too, Bella. I had a lot of fun tonight. We need to do this again. So are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, let's go. I don't want Charlie to put out an APB, or start cruising the streets searching for me."

Mike laughed, and drove out of the parking lot. It was a short drive to Charlie's house, and we pulled up to the curb out front after about a five minute cruise across town. The porch light was on, but the curtains were closed.

I still hadn't had a chance to shift out of the sight back to the mundane way of looking at things. I needed to use the card out of my purse, and I had been with Mike ever since he'd led me to the dance floor before midnight. It didn't seem as disorienting as before, and almost seemed like second nature to me now. It was still annoying that I needed the stupid card to switch back and forth, but it worked.

I was surprised when we parked in front of the house, and I could see the bands and networks of energy that surrounded the little white two story house. They didn't look like a natural phenomenon, but artificially constructed powerful wards and protections. Why was Charlie's house so powerfully warded, and who had forged these protections? Angela hadn't said anything about them, and I was surprised that she didn't know about them. At least I assumed she didn't know about them.

Mike turned to me after he parked the car. He seemed a little awkward, and I wondered where that was coming from, considering everything we'd done tonight. He'd seen me practically naked, and touched every intimate part of my body. Now he was acting shy?

"Umm… Bella, I know this might seem a little backward, considering tonight, but can I get your cell number, so I can call you to ask you out again?"

Oh, was that all? I laughed, it was a little backward, that we knew each other so intimately, and he didn't even know my phone number. I suppose Charlie was in the book, but he wanted to be able to call me.

"Sure, Mike, let me see your phone, and I'll add myself to your contact list," and I reached into my purse and handed him my phone so he could add his number to mine. He gave me his phone and I added my number, and we traded back.

Mike got out, came around the car to open my door for me, and helped me out. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and walked me up the stairs to the door. I turned in his arm, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. I looked up into his eyes, and he looked deeply into mine.

"I had a great time tonight, Bella," Mike said.

"I had a good time too. Thanks' for dinner, and putting up with Alice. The party was really fun…"

Mike leaned down and his lips were moving on mine. I tilted my head to give him better access, and then my arms were around his neck. My fingers tangled in his hair and lightly scraped against his scalp. His hand was on the small of my back, and his other hand was in my hair cradling my neck as he pulled me tighter against him. I bent my head back as he leaned into the kiss, and my body molded to his.

My knees were weak, and Mike had to hold me tight so I didn't collapse. His tongue swirled around mine as I kissed him back. My eyes were closed tight, and I lost myself in the kiss as our tongues entwined and slipped and played in each others mouths.

I didn't realize it the first time the porch light flashed off and then back on, but then Mike was stepping back breaking the kiss as he held my arms and then my hands until I was steady enough on my feet to stand by myself. I was breathing hard, and took a deep breath to steady myself so I could talk again. The lights flashed off and on.

"Good night, Mike…"

"Good night, Bella, Happy New Year, I'll call you." Mike walked down the stairs, and waved when he got to his car. He got in to leave.

I waved one last time, and turned and opened the door. I walked into the house, and Charlie was waiting for me. He looked a little flushed in the face. I didn't think he was mad, but he wouldn't meet my eyes like he was a little embarrassed. I wasn't late. I was on time, and even a couple of minutes early.

"Hey Charlie, Happy New Year," I told him as I took off my coat.

He looked me up and down as I stood by the closet. Did his nostrils flair ever so slightly? I hung up my coat in the closet.

"Happy New Year… So, you had a good time with Mike, tonight?"

"Yeah, dinner was great, and then we had a lot of fun at the party. I met some new kids that go to the high school, and we danced. It was fun."

"So do you always kiss guys like that on the first date, Bella?" I couldn't believe Charlie asked me that! He might be my dad, but I wasn't going to put up with… that! Especially from my dad!

"It was our second date. Mike asked me to go to the races last night, but I rode with Angela so I wouldn't have to call you back. And I'll kiss guys however I like, thank you very much. You might be my dad, but that's none of your business."

Charlie turned bright red, and looked down at his shoes. He wouldn't look me in the eye, but he went on.

"I sorry, Bells, but I'm your father, and I worry about you. I'm responsible for looking out for you now. I know you're almost all grown up, but I still think of you as my little girl. It shocks me to think of you as a woman… I just want you to be safe. You're being careful…?"

Now it was my turn to blush bright red. "Don't worry about Mike. He's safe, and I didn't do anything tonight that I have to worry about being careful for. When I do need to worry about being careful I will be, but until then I've got it under control, alright?"

"I know, Bells, and I want to trust you judgment, but Renee was worried about you when she sent you up here to live with me…"

"Look, Charlie, I know what Renee was worried about, but she really didn't have anything to worry about. Nothing happened then, and nothing happened tonight!"

"Umm… Bells, I know it's been a long time for me, but I have two eyes that aren't blind, and I saw how you kissed that boy. My sense of smell still works just fine so don't tell me nothing happened..."

"Stop right there! This is so not any of your business! I had this same conversation with Renee, and I'll tell you what I told her! I don't sleep around, and I can kiss a boy with having to fuck him! I was still a virgin when I left Phoenix, and I'm still a virgin now goddamn it! When I decide not be one anymore is my decision! Is that clear enough for you, Charlie? Do you have any other questions, or can I go upstairs and take a shower now?"

"No, that's pretty clear… I'm sorry, Bells, I just want to look out for you..."

"Are we through?"

"Yeah, I'm through. I'm sorry, Bells. Go take your shower…"

"Good night, Charlie," and I walked to the foot of the stairs. Then I turned back to look at Charlie as he watched me walk away. "This really isn't any of your business, and I'd prefer that we avoid these awkward conversations in the future if that's alright with you. How far I go with a guy is my decision, and when I do decide to have sex with some guy, I'm not going to ask for your permission first. I'm gonna go out on more dates while I'm living here, so it would probably be best if you learn to trust my judgment. Ok dad?"

"It's just hard for me to think of you as a woman now and know that you're going out with these young men. I was a young man once, and I know what they want. I want to keep you safe, but I know I have to trust that Renee raised you right, and that you'll make good decisions. I can't say I won't bother you about this again If I feel the need, but I'm here if you need me, or if you want to talk about anything. I know I'm not your mother, and it'll be harder for both of us, but I'm here for you if you want to talk about anything, Bells."

"Thanks', dad, but really, I've got this under control, and I know how to make decisions that are right for me. They might not always be the same decisions that you or Renee would have made, but it's what's right for me."

"Ok, Bells, I'll try and trust you, but I'll still worry. I'm your dad, and it goes with the territory. Good night, and… I'm glad you had fun..."

I nodded and went up the stairs to my room. I walked to the mirror, and took a good look. My hair was a little mussed and disheveled where Mike had had his hands in my hair when he kissed me. My clothes were all in place and properly aligned, but they had that subtle wrinkled and mussed look like they'd been off and put back on. I unzipped my skirt and pushed it down and stepped out of it. I lifted it to my face and sniffed it. It smelled like my sex, and I blushed when I realized it was damp in the back where my juices had leaked down and soaked into it. Not enough to leave a wet spot, but enough to make it smell like a very aroused and wet Bella. I tossed it on the bed, and raised one foot and then the other to the vanity bench to open the ankle straps on my heels and take them off. It felt good to wiggle my toes again.

I unsnapped the straps of the garter belt, and rolled down my hose and took them off. I looked ay myself in the mirror again, and there were a couple of discolored spots on my garter belt and panties. I took them off and held them up and looked at them closer, and then sniffed them. I thought we'd gotten all of Mike's cum cleaned up, but some had soaked into the fabric and dried. They smelled like sex, and I could see where I would have looked and smelled like I'd just been fucked good and hard when I walked in the door tonight.

I finished getting undressed, and got my pink satin robe out of the closet and put it on. I gathered up my dirty clothes, but left them in my room. The blouse would need dry cleaning, and I'd have to hand wash the lingerie. I didn't want to put the rest in the hamper where Charlie might give it the same inspection like I had just done.

I grabbed my toiletries bag, and went down to the bathroom to take off my makeup. A little baby oil on a tissue got rid of the majority of it, but I had to use some baby shampoo on the mascara. This was Forks, and it rained all the time. Of course I had waterproof mascara, but a little baby shampoo on a cotton ball made quick work of it. After I finished there was no need to use soap of any kind. I simply rinsed my face with cool water and my skin felt soft to the touch.

I ran the shower and the hot water felt good after everything I'd done tonight. I washed my hair, and then got out and got dried off. I squeezed most of the water out of my hair with the towel. I brushed my teeth, and slipped back into my robe, and went back down the hall to my room. I put on my pajamas, turned off the light, and slipped into bed.

I thought about tonight, and everything that had happened. I was right that Charlie would notice things. I couldn't come home smelling like sex, or I'd give him a heart attack worrying about me. Next time I'd have to make sure I didn't get any of Mike's cum on my panties. That would be easier if I simply wasn't wearing any. Or maybe Michaela's solution was better. It would be easier to clean up if there wasn't any cum to worry about. Maybe next time… Hmm… There would be a next time, and that was pleasant to think about as I drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8 A Personal Hell

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **AU Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld of magick beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Can love save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward a part of that evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

This chapter contains excerpts of text taken from chapters 1 & 2 of _Twilight_, by Stephenie Meyers. It's not all original material, but I put my own spin on it to fit this alternate universe.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 8 A Personal Hell

There was an annoying buzzing noise droning loudly in the room. After listening to it drone on for an immeasurable fuzzy eternity, realization dawned on me that it was the alarm as I groggily rolled over and contemplated what I should do about it. I reached out and hit the snooze bar, and promptly forgot about it as I drifted back into oblivion…

The annoying buzzing noise was droning loudly through the room again. I looked at the clock this time before I reached over to shut off the alarm. It was six forty a.m. on Wednesday, January third. Winter break was over, and this was my first day at Forks high school. I had been dreading this day ever since we'd made that fateful phone call to Charlie exactly one week ago today.

The day Renee had given me her final ultimatum. She was fed up with me and my attitude, and she was throwing me out. I had chosen the lesser of two evils. Given the choice between child protective services, or moving to Forks to live with my dad, I'd chosen Charlie. The CPS route would have landed me at the girls' ranch until I turned eighteen when Renee handed over my drug paraphernalia and marijuana stash. It was the right choice.

Charlie had turned out to be more laid back and cooler than Renee had ever led me to believe when I was growing up. He started me out with a clean slate, and as long as I kept my nose clean and followed the rules, he treated me like an adult. Of course, that was the one sticking point. He couldn't have it both ways. If I was an adult then I was old enough to make my own decisions about adult things like guys, and how far Bella was willing to go with the young men that she dated. Charlie still wanted to treat me like a little girl as far as my sex life was concerned. We had tentatively agreed not to discuss it, with an open invitation on his part to talk if I needed too.

Like that was going to happen. It was bad enough that he had brought up the subject after my date with Mike. I might have been able to discuss things like that with Renee. She had always been rather frank and open about her love life. She felt that it was her duty as my mother to offer me advice and make sure that I was more than adequately informed and prepared for the physical intimacy that she assumed would be part of any healthy relationship. Unfortunately, Renee and I weren't on speaking terms at the moment, and I sure as hell wasn't going to discuss my sex life with my dad, at least not willingly. I was sure we still had our fair share of awkward conversations in store, but I would avoid them for as long as I could.

No sense putting this off any longer. I pushed off the covers and rolled out of bed. It was cold outside, but Charlie kept the house a nice toasty seventy two degrees, despite the thirty degree weather on the other side of the window. I grabbed my toiletries bag off the vanity, and went down the hallway to the bathroom. Charlie was already up, and I could smell coffee downstairs. I went into the bathroom and took a shower and brushed my teeth.

I didn't forget my pill. It was part of my morning routine now, and Renee had drilled it into my head. Renee had made that mistake, but that wasn't going to happen to me. I suppose it was an acceptable mistake at least from my point of view. I was standing here thinking about it after all while I was taking my pill, and I wouldn't be if she hadn't screwed up. I was going to have to go to the pharmacy soon and refill my prescription, but I was good for refills for another two months before I'd have to make a doctors appointment to renew the prescription.

I wrapped the towel around me, and went back to my room to get dressed for my first day at school. I decided on casual for the first day. I was comfortable with that, and I'd seen kids in town dressed like what I was used to. I put on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt with a short sleeved t-shirt layered over it. I wanted to wear my sneakers, but I knew it was raining, so I put on the waterproof boots. My new friends Angela, Haley, and Michaela all said that a lot of girls in forks regularly wore skirts to school, but I'd wait to see it. I trusted them all, and I'd seen all of them wear skirts almost more often than pants, but I only owned three skirts, and I wasn't really prepared to wear any of them except to maybe go out.

I really needed to plan a shopping trip to flesh out my wardrobe. I didn't really relish the thought of shopping with Charlie, but if he was like most guys, he'd want to get it over with as little fuss as possible. I could accept that, get in and out and have it done and over with. Maybe I could talk him into letting me go with the girls if he would trust me with his credit card. That would at least be kind of fun, although I had to admit shopping wasn't my number one favorite pastime.

I sat down in front of the vanity mirror and looked at my face. I took good care of my skin, and my complexion was clear. I'd been sleeping a lot more since I got here, considering I wasn't sneaking out at night to go party with my friends, and I didn't have the dark circles under my eyes like I did when I first arrived. I brushed out my hair to get the tangles out and used my curling iron to add a little curl to my otherwise straight hair. It was loosing battle in this wet climate. I covered my face in a light powder cover-up. I was still pale, but at least it was an even consistent pale now. I used a dark gray eye liner and quickly swiped it over both lids. I applied Mascara, and then some lip stick. I didn't bother with a lip liner pencil but applied a touch of lip gloss to give my lips a bit of shine.

I grabbed my purse and added the appropriate supplies so I could re-apply later, tossed my cell phone inside, and got up and went to my desk. I grabbed the Newton's Outfitter's pullover hoodie hanging on the chair that Mike had given me yesterday. I pulled it on, and was careful not to muss my makeup. I didn't usually like gifts, but Mike was earning brownie points, and his stock was going up.

Mike had come over yesterday afternoon to hang out. My box of knick knacks and things I hadn't brought on the plane showed up, and Mike had helped me decorate my bedroom. I knew Charlie didn't like me having him in there, but we left the door open, and he couldn't complain too much. I'd made Charlie dinner and then Mike had taken me to the drive-in to hang out with the kids from school. It had been fun, and we'd just acted like friends. He gave me the hoodie, but he didn't try to kiss me or try to get away from the group for private time. It was nice, and we were just having fun. I had been afraid that he'd get all weird and want to 'be with me' after what had happened New Years Eve, but it hadn't turned out like that at all. Mike was being nice, and I liked it.

I grabbed my backpack with school supplies, and went down to the kitchen. I hung my backpack on the chair, and grabbed a cup of coffee with sugar and a little of the non-dairy instant creamer. My pop tart popped out of the toaster, I grabbed it, and sat at the table with Charlie. It was still early yet, around seven thirty in the morning and the advisory period didn't start until eight fifteen. I sat and nibbled my pop tart, sipped my coffee, and then Charlie set down his paper to look at me. I could tell he was studying the new hoodie.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with that Newton boy. So is he your boyfriend now?"

"He has a name, Charlie, and no he's not my 'boyfriend'. He's a boy, and we're friends, but that's all. I've spent more time with Angela than Mike, and you're not asking me if she's my girlfriend."

"I haven't seen you kissing Angela good night like you do with Mike. You're not… seeing her too…?"

"No! Jeez, Charlie, Mike and I are just friends, and Angela and I are just friends. I like boys that way, dad, I don't date girls too. Besides, Angela and Ben are a really serious couple."

"Ok, just checking. Are you sure you don't want me to give you a ride to school?"

"I'm not going to show up for my first day at school in the Chief of Police's squad car. Angela is gonna pick me up, and then we're picking up Sara and Haley, and we'll all ride together. She's driving me home after school."

"What about work? Wednesday is an early dismissal day, and you'll get out at two o'clock. Work doesn't start until four."

"I'll probably hang out with the girls until it's time to go to work. Mike's gonna pick me up, and give me a ride. He'll drop me off after work tonight too. This is Wednesday so I'm supposed to be in by ten, right?"

"Yeah, but you're off at nine?"

"I thought maybe I'd hang out with Mike after work until curfew. Maybe we'll go to Sully's or something. I haven't talked to him about it yet."

"Huh, sounds like he's your boyfriend to me, but maybe I'm just old fashioned. You're gonna make time to fit homework in too, right?"

"Yes, dad, I haven't forgotten our deal, but from what Angela tells me there are only two advanced placement classes even offered at the high school. I've probably already studied everything on the syllabus for most of my classes, and I'll just be parroting back the answers for the rest of the school year. You know, before I… had my disagreement with Renee, I was planning on graduating a year early. Even with the way I killed my GPA this year, I'm still on track for graduation."

"Seems I remember you struggling with math before, it'll do you good to get some more help with that at least."

"Ok, I'll grant that I've never truly understood trig, and math in general is my weak point, but everything else is cake. I've got this."

"Ok, Bells, Well I'll see you tonight then. Have a good day at school." Charlie got up to leave.

"Bye dad, be careful out there…"

"I always am, Bye," and he closed the door behind him as he left.

I finished my coffee, and got up from the table. I washed out the cups and set them in the rack to dry. I grabbed my backpack and got my coat, and went outside onto the porch to have a cigarette while I waited for Angela to come pick me up for school. The concept of facing an entirely new group of people and surviving the first day of school wasn't nearly as daunting a prospect as I had originally anticipated.

Coming to Forks during the end of winter break had given me a couple of days to get to know people and make some friends. It was a completely different experience than if I was going into this cold, and just showed up for the first day of school not knowing a soul. I had groups established, and I knew what to expect from people. There would still be staring, and questions, but my story was out there, and people already knew something about me.

I leaned against the railing, and I could feel the under current of power from the bands of energy and powerful wards that surrounded the house. I could sense them now and feel the hum of power under my fingertips. A week ago I would never have noticed it, or maybe thought the house just gave off a strange vibe. Now I knew better, and I knew what the energy was. I hadn't discussed it with Angela. She hadn't mentioned it, and I didn't know if she could sense them. I knew she hadn't created any of this. It was hard to explain, but it didn't feel like Angela. I could sense the wards around her house, and I knew they were hers, because they felt like Angela. Somebody else had set these wards, but it wasn't anyone in Angela's group that I had worked with.

I finished my cigarette as Angela pulled up to the curb in front of house. I crushed out the butt in the ashtray that Charlie had left on the porch for me, and then hurried down through the cold rain and got into the car. I was the first picked up, so I snagged shotgun. Besides, I wasn't going to sit alone in the back while Angela chauffeured me around town. Of course Angela was wearing a dress. I hadn't seen her wear pants since I'd come to Forks, and I expected it now.

We picked up Haley first. She was wearing a long wool skirt that hung past her knees, a turtle neck sweater, knee high boots, and a long coat. It looked cute on her, but was dressier than I'd ever wear to high school. She looked like she was heading off to classes at an Ivy League graduate program, not junior year in high school. She got in the back seat, and we left to go pick up Sara.

I hadn't met Sara Martin yet. She'd just returned from visiting relatives with her family last night, and I didn't really know what to expect. From what Haley and Michaela had said, I was pretty much expecting to meet another girl like both of them. I knew she'd be wearing a dress or a skirt. I wasn't expecting Morticia Addams to come floating down to the curb and get into the back seat next to Haley. Sara was seriously into the whole neo-romantic Goth sub-culture from the way she was dressed.

She was eerily pretty with a macabre sort of beauty. She was about five foot six, and maybe a hundred pounds, with the kind of figure that attracted boys if her style and makeup didn't scare them off. Sara's long straight hair was parted in the middle and dyed glossy black. I didn't think hair that black could possibly be natural, but her eyebrows matched. Her face was a very pale white with black eyeliner and eye shadow and black mascara. Her fingernails were painted glossy black, she was wearing black lipstick and was dressed in a long black neo-Victorian dress with long sleeves and a row of buttons down the front. It kind of gave you the impression of an old fashioned wedding dress but dyed black instead of white. She was wearing a large silver cross necklace on a chain around her neck, and a rosary with black beads and a big silver cross that hung lower that the other necklace, below her breasts.

"Good morning, Sara," Angela greeted her. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"It was fun. I think I scared the piss out of my cousins. My aunt wouldn't leave me alone with them like I was going to hurt them or something. They were more that happy to see us leave. So, I see you've added a new member to our group while I was gone, and she's very special, isn't she." I could feel her looking at me, and a chill ran down my spine.

She held out her hand to me, and her grip was warm and firm as we shook hands, "I'm Sara," she said, and then sat back as we drove towards the school.

"I can see we have a lot to teach you, Isabel, but it looks like Angela has already begun."

"Just Bella, please," but she had called me Isabel, not Isabella. How did she know? "Why do you say that, has Angela talked to you about me?"

"Ok, Bella if you like, but it wasn't always Bella, was it? No, Angela and I haven't talked yet, but I have my sources. Angela is a good friend for both of us. She helps balance my darker tendencies, and reminds me of the dangers of straying too far from the light. She'll help you too. I can see that you've been touched by darkness. Your path does not lead to the light."

"Don't try and scare her off, Sara," Angela said. "Bella has a lot of good in her too, and she's very strong willed. She'll choose her own path, and I have confidence she'll make good choices."

"Better choices than I did?" Sara asked, but she was smiling.

"You talk tough, but you're not as close to the dark as you try to make people think you are."

"Thanks', Angela. Keeping you around reminds me I have choices…"

"Bella was curious about how to defend herself. I showed her some basic defensive techniques, but she's interested in how to fight back too… I thought maybe you could help her…"

"That should be fun." Sara smiled sweetly, and I felt another shiver run down my spine. Fun for whom I wondered? "Are you free today after school, Isabel… or Bella if you prefer?"

"Umm… Sure, but I have to be at work at four. Mike's picking me up to drive me…"

"Mike Newton?" Sara asked. "We do have similar tastes, don't we? Mike was fun. A little too pushy for my tastes, but he's certainly energetic. A couple of hours should be more than enough time to get you started with some basics. Let's plan on this afternoon then. Mike can pick you up at my house. He knows how to find it."

"Uh ok… Thanks' Sara…" Huh, so Mike and Sara had a history too. This was going to be interesting. I'd have to ask Mike about her tonight.

We were at the school, and Angela pulled into a parking place in the student parking lot. It wasn't super crowded, and as many kids were getting dropped off as were driving themselves. It looked like there was quite a crowd out despite the rain, and I wondered what the attraction was. Then my stomach did a little flip flop, and dropped into my boots as I realized I was the attraction. All these people were standing out in the rain to get a look at the new girl. I groaned and sunk lower into my seat. I suddenly wished I would have played sick and stayed in bed.

"Come on, Bella, it won't be so bad, we'll walk you to the office," Sara said, and Angela and Haley both agreed and offered their support.

Sara got out and opened and old fashioned parasol style umbrella to keep the rain off, while the rest of us all pulled up our hoods. We started for what looked like the administration building. I had a feeling we were headed in the right direction from the big white sign on the side of the building next to the door that said, "Office".

We must have made an interesting group as we walked down the path through the crowd on our way to the office. There were whispered conversations as people pointed and stared, and a general excited buzz as we passed through the crowd. I noticed that there did seem to be quite a few girls in the crowd that were wearing dresses and skirts, despite the rain and the cold, and I wondered how I had managed to jump back in time to the fifties. This was the twenty-first century after all, and kids, girls in particular, just didn't dress like that anymore. Apparently they did in Forks.

Angela pushed the office door open, and we all filed in. It looked like a typical high school office with faded intuitional orange carpet. Stackable chairs lined one wall. There was a long counter down the middle of the room with three desks behind it. An assortment of flyers and posters were taped to the edge of the counter and the walls announcing various clubs and events.

All that was missing was the bulletproof glass, and the metal detectors, or it would have been just like a high school office in Phoenix. Did I mention I hadn't seen any campus police, drug sniffing K-9 unit police dogs, ID badges, or chain link fences with razor wire on top? Yep, I had stepped back into the fifties alright.

I stepped up to the counter, and looked at the lady sitting at the desk. She was a heavy set, middle aged woman with short cropped hair that was dyed bright red. She was wearing glasses with thick black plastic frames on a chain around the back of her neck. Her name tag and the sign on her desk said Mrs. Cope. She looked up and smiled at me when I stepped up to the counter.

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan, I'm starting here today?"

"Of course, dear, I've been expecting you. Now, let me see… I have your folder right here somewhere… Yes, Isabella Swan, Chief Swan's daughter from Phoenix, Arizona… I contacted your previous school, and they faxed me copies of your transcript and files."

Mrs. Cope looked through the folder for a minute, looked back at me, and frowned. Then she glanced up at the big round clock on the wall over the door.

"Let me give you your schedule, but then you need to meet with Mr. Reese before you can sign into your classes today. He has some additional paperwork for you. Mr. Reese is your guidance counselor, and apparently your file was flagged for disciplinary issues by your previous high school. You should have time to meet with him before classes start this morning. He's also your American Government teacher, so his room number is listed on your schedule."

Mrs. Cope dug through the folder, and I was surprised how thick it was. All of that was about me? I suppose there was a report on every incident I had been involved in, and all of the trouble I had gotten into. Mrs. Cope produced a couple of sheets of paper, and laid them on the counter in front of me.

"Now, here is your class schedule. It has your locker number printed in the top corner."

She handed me a business card sized slip of paper. "This is your locker combination. I'd memorize and destroy the card instead of carrying it around. There's a twenty-five dollar charge if you want the janitor to change the combination, so don't share it with anyone you don't trust."

She pointed to the next paper on the counter, "Here's a map of the school. I've highlighted your classrooms to make it easier to find them."

Finally she handed me another smaller sheet of paper. "This is your sign in sheet. Have each of your teachers sign it today, and bring it back to me at the end of the day." She glanced at the clock again. "You should hurry, dear. You should have time to talk to Mr. Reese before Advisory if you don't get lost."

"Thank you," I said, and collected my papers. I put the locker combination in my purse, and turned toward the doors.

Sara seemed a little more impressed with me than she had before we went into the office. Angela and Haley seemed nonjudgmental, but they looked like they had a ton of questions they wanted to ask as we walked out the door.

"So you were a hard case back home? I'm impressed. Don't get me wrong, I love Angela and Haley, but they're just a little too 'goody two shoes' for my taste sometimes." Sara said. "Is that why you ended up here so suddenly? What, mom got fed up with you, and shoved you off on your dad?"

That was awful close to the mark, but I didn't want that story circulating. I was starting over, and I didn't want people to judge me based on my past.

"No, I wanted to come live with my dad…" Because I figured it would be better than living at the girl's ranch until I was eighteen. "Please don't say anything about this to anyone. We can discuss this after school today if you have questions, but I don't want rumors to get around, ok?"

"We don't spread gossip, Bella, and we all stick together." Angela said, and looked at Sara and Haley. They both nodded to agree with her. "If you want to keep this between us girls, then that's what we'll do. Now, let me see your schedule, and we'll show you where Mr. Reese's classroom is."

We walked into the main school building through the door at the end of the hallway. The building was an ancient single story brick building that looked like it had been built before my grandparents were born. There was a central hallway lined with lockers, and doorways leading to classrooms on both sides of the hall. About half way down the building there was another hallway on the right forming a T. it looked like another wing had been added on at some point, and there was another hallway on the right at the north end of this hall. I knew from looking at the map and the outside of the building, that there was another two story addition past the north end of this hallway.

"Ok," Looks like you have English with all of us first period. None of us are in your government class second period. Sara, you have trig third period with Varner, don't you?" Angela asked.

"Yes, I do." Sara said, and made a sour face. "Make sure you have something interesting to tell the class. He's going to make you stand up in front of the room and introduce yourself." I blanched a little at the thought, but we kept walking.

"We have Spanish together fourth period," Angela continued.

"Hmm… You have Biology with me and Sara for fifth period after lunch." Angela and Sara both looked at each other and then laugh quietly at some private joke, but they didn't see fit to let me in on what was so funny.

"You're in gym with Haley and Michaela sixth period," and Angela handed me back my schedule.

We stopped in front of a classroom, and I looked at the schedule in my hand. This was the room listed for my second period government class.

"Go ahead, Bella," Angela said. "We'll wait here, and then you can walk to English with us."

I took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. I didn't wait for a response, and pushed the door open, and walked into the room. I was surprised, and wondered if I was really in the correct room as I let the door close behind me.

"Umm… Mr. Reese?" I asked.

There was a young man with short brown hair sitting at the desk in the back corner of the room. He was typing on a laptop computer, and he looked up when I said his name. He hardly looked old enough to be a teacher, let alone a guidance counselor, and he couldn't have been teaching for more than a couple of years. He looked like he was fresh out of College.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"I'm Bella Swan. Mrs. Cope told me I needed to meet with you before I could sign into my classes today."

"Ah, yes, Isabella. I've been looking over your file since we got your records from Phoenix." I could tell he was looking over more than my file now as I felt his eyes roam over my body, and it made me feel uncomfortable. "C'mon and sit down." He pointed at a chair next to his desk. "Let's talk for a minute."

"Just Bella, please," I said, and I sat down in the chair.

"Ok, Bella. You can call me John when we're in these counseling sessions if it makes you feel more comfortable. I just need to review our school policies with you, so we're perfectly clear about your responsibilities as a student here at Forks high school. According to your transcript, you were an excellent student your freshman and sophomore years. You were the president of the honor society at the start of your junior year, but apparently something happened, and you got off track. Would you like to discuss what happened that made you decide to give up on school?"

"It's a private family matter, and I'd prefer not to…" He seemed to perk up at that, and stared at me with a calculating look of appraisal.

"Ok, I understand. I spoke with your father when he enrolled you, and he wouldn't discuss it either. If you feel that you need someone to talk to, I'm always available to help, Bella." Something made me doubt that. I got the impression that he'd love to talk but he'd like to help himself to me.

"Thanks', I'll keep that in mind. You mentioned school policies?"

"Your file lists the various disciplinary actions that your previous school imposed, and listed the infractions that violated school policies. I have to admit, your previous school was extremely more lenient than the policies of the Quillayute Valley School District and Forks High School. I have to tell you, if you had this record in Forks at the beginning of this school year, you would have been expelled, and possibly incarcerated in a home for girls until your eighteenth birthday."

"Principal Rupprecht and I both expressed concerns about enrolling you into the high school, and suggested that perhaps you would be better suited to enrollment in the Forks Alternative school, but your father insisted that we give you a chance."

"Would you prefer to enroll in the Alternative School instead, Bella? You'd still have an opportunity to earn a diploma, but the curriculum is better suited to people that have trouble responding well to authority, and it's a more structured program."

"Thanks' for the offer, Mr. Reese, but I'm starting over. My dad offered me a fresh start, and I'm taking it. I can handle high school, and I'm gonna get my grades back on track. I realize that I was only hurting myself before. I can do this."

"Ok, Bella. If this is what you want, we'll give it a try. Now we need to go over the school attendance, tobacco, and drug and alcohol policies…"

Mr. Reese read through the sections in the student handbook and pointed out all of the rules I would be expected to follow. It was a little embarrassing that he felt the need to sit down with me and go through each of the rules with me, and explain how the school interpreted them. Finally I had to sign the handbook. He gave me the signed copy, and kept a copy of the signature page for his files. The first warning bell rang as we were finishing up, and I got up to leave.

"Bella, I'll need to meet with you, each Wednesday, at the end of the day to review your academic progress, and assess how you're assimilating into school to make sure you aren't having any issues. We want you to succeed here in Forks. We'll start next Wednesday afternoon, ok?"

I felt his eyes travel over my body again as he talked about meeting with me next Wednesday afternoon, and I didn't really feel comfortable at the thought of being alone with him in the room, but everything had been legitimate school business so far. He hadn't done or said anything suggestive or out of line, but I got the impression that he was looking forward to getting me alone, and it made my skin crawl. It was probably just my imagination, and I was reading too much into a simple look. He was a guy, and guys looked. Being a teacher didn't make him stop being a man. Most guys just hid it better.

"Ok, Mr. Reese. I guess I'll see you in second period, and Wednesday afternoon next week."

I hurried out of the room, and the girls were still all waiting for me.

"C'mon, English is just down the hall," Sara said, as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along. "What did Reese want? You were in there forever!"

I blushed, embarrassed. I knew what Mr. Reese wanted. The same thing all guys wanted, but that wasn't what Sara had asked. "He wanted to know if I wanted to go to the Alternative school instead. Then he read me all the school rules, and made me sign the student handbook."

"Jeez, Bella," Haley said. "Why would he read you all of the rules before you could start school?"

"Because I broke all of them in Phoenix," I said. It was just us girls in the hallway, and Angela said we'd keep it between us. Haley stared at me with her mouth open, and Sara smiled. I couldn't see Angela's face as she pushed the classroom door open.

"I knew I was going to like you, Bella," Sara said, and then we were rushing into a classroom. The bell rang before the door shut behind us, but we were in on time.

"Cutting it a little close today, aren't we girls?" The teacher at the desk commented when we rushed into the class. "Take your seats, and let's get started."

Sara, Haley, and Angela walked towards the back of the room and found their seats. Mike was in this class too, and he grinned at me. I looked at my schedule, and then turned to the teacher and walked to her desk.

"Hello, Mrs. Jensen? I'm Bella Swan, I'm starting class today. Mrs. Cope said to have you sign this paper for me," and I handed her the sign-in sheet.

"Ok, let me see… Right, Isabella Swan," she said as she looked over her attendance book. "Ok, Ms. Swan." She signed the paper and made a mark in her book, and handed the paper back to me.

"We were told to be expecting you today. Here's a copy of the class syllabus, and a copy of the novel we're reading." She handed me the paper and the book. "Were you in an advanced program in your previous school? The curriculum in this class is fairly fast paced, and I don't want you to fall behind. This is an advanced placement class, and the students in this class work hard so they can earn dual credit. There'll be an optional test at the end of the school year, and if you pass, you can receive college credit for this class in addition to the high school graduation requirement."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jensen. I was in the TAG program in Phoenix for talented and gifted students, and I had advanced placement classes." I didn't tell her that I had pretty much stopped going to them. "I'll try to do my best here."

"Ok, find a seat and we'll get started."

Mike was looking at me expectantly. There was an empty seat next to him, but Haley, Sara, and Angela had saved a seat for me in the back row, and Sara was waving at me excitedly to come and sit with them. Mike would get over it. I tried to look apologetic as I walked past the seat next to him, and went and sat with the girls.

The rest of the morning went pretty much the same. I sat next to Mike in government class, but I wasn't surprised when Alice Cullen came in and sat next to me on my other side. Mike seemed a little surprised, but tried to play it off. Mr. Reese signed my paper, and gave me a text book. He seemed perfectly nice and teacher-like, and I chocked up my earlier creepy impression to first day jitters.

Trig third period was just as bad as I had expected after Sara's warning. Mr. Varner looked old enough to be my grandfather, and acted even more old fashioned. He signed my paper, and made me stand up at the front of the class and introduce myself and tell the class a little bit about myself. I was a little better prepared than going in cold, after Sara's warning, but I still stammered and turned red and looked at my feet most of the time. Finally the ordeal was over and I fled to my seat to bury my face in my arms.

The fact that this seemed to be a meeting of the 'girls who have gone out with Mike Newton club' only made it worse. I was surprised that Jessica Stanley was sitting with Sara. I was even more surprised that Alice Cullen was sitting at the same table as Sara and Jessica, but Sara had saved me a seat between her and Alice. Jessica must have decided to play nice to get the dirt on me and Mike. I suppose she felt it was her best option if she was trying to get him back. I got the impression that Mike wasn't interested in her anymore.

"Hey, Bella," Jessica greeted me when the lecture was over. Mr. Varner had told us to work on our assignment for the rest of the class, and we were working in groups. "So, are you and Mike dating now?" she asked. Sara seemed curious about my answer too.

"Well, he took me out on a date, but we're just friends."

"So he isn't your boyfriend? I heard he was hanging out at your house yesterday afternoon, and then he took you to the drive-in for ice cream last night."

"Yeah, you guys seem pretty serious for only knowing each other for a couple of days," Sara said. "Didn't he give you that hoodie, too?"

I blushed. Mike was sweet, and I liked him, but I so didn't want a boyfriend right now. "Mike is nice, but I don't want a boyfriend right now. We're just friends. If he asks me out on a date, then I'll go out with him if I want to. I can go out with other guys too if I want."

Jessica seemed shocked, and Sara just smiled. Alice had heard all of this before, and didn't comment. We spent the rest of the period commenting on what a jerk Mr. Varner was, and I felt a little better.

"You know, you kids have it easy today," Alice commented quietly to me. "There was a time when all of the teachers were just like Mr. Varner."

"You kids? Don't you include yourself in that group, Alice? Aren't you a kid too?"

She sighed. "I suppose I am, but this really gets boring after a while… This isn't the first time I've gone to high school, you know."

I didn't know, and I was curious what she meant, but Sara seemed to catch part of that comment, shushed us, so Jessica wouldn't hear. I wondered how much Sara knew about Alice. I really needed to hang out with Alice. I had so many questions about her. I really didn't know anything about her except for the bare basics and a lot of superstitious legends that were probably mostly crap. Take the sunlight thing. It was daytime. We were at school, and she wasn't bursting into flames or smoking around the edges when she walked outside. Of course it was still raining out, and I wondered if that had anything to do with it.

A thought occurred to me then. Angela had mentioned the ruler of Alice's race when we were talking Sunday afternoon. He was three thousand years old. Alice had said this wasn't the first time she'd gone to high school… Just how old was she? She looked seventeen or eighteen, but how much did appearance count for? I had so many questions that I wanted to ask her. I wondered if she'd answer them.

Thankfully third period was over, and I ended up walking to Spanish with Jessica Stanley. I guess I had given the correct response when I told her Mike wasn't my boyfriend. She must have assumed that she had some kind of chance with him because either I hadn't seized the opportunity to go steady with him, or he hadn't offered. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Mike was totally into me, and was pissed off at her. She chattered on mindlessly about who was dating who, who had broken up over Christmas break, what various people had gotten for Christmas gifts, and the prospects for dates for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance on Valentines Day, despite the fact that the dance was a month and a half away.

We were almost to fourth period Spanish, and I could see Angela was already there through the door.

"Bella, come sit with me," Jessica said. "After you talk to Ms. Goff…"

"Jess, I'm gonna sit with Angela. She's saving me a seat…"

"Really…?" Jessica seemed affronted that I'd want to sit with Angela when she had offered to let me sit with her.

"Bella, you can't sit with 'her'…" She made it sound like it would be a serious social gaff to be seen in public with Angela Weber. "I'll admit, Sara is a little 'out there', but at least she's still relatively cool… at least she dates. Angela's a nerd, and you'll get lumped in with her crowd if you hang out with her and those other girls all the time. It's already happening to Haley and Michaela, they started hanging with Angela, and now everyone talks behind their backs. There's a rumor that they're witches, and practice black magic."

"Jessica, Angela is my friend, and so are Sara, Haley and Michaela. I'm sitting with Angela, and you can sit with us if you like, or not."

I walked into the classroom, and handed my slip to Senorita Goff. She signed it. I got my text book, and sat down next to Angela.

"Thanks' Bella," Angela said.

Jessica stood and stared, with her mouth working like a fish gasping for air, and then she sat down next to me on my other side.

"Fine," she said, and sat down. She was silent for the rest of the period, which was totally out of character for Jessica.

Jessica decided to start talking to me again by lunch time. She walked to the Cafeteria with Angela and me, although she pretty much resigned herself to ignoring Angela. I wasn't really sure what Jessica's game was yet, but she got into line with us and followed me to the table where Haley, Michaela and Sara were all sitting.

Then Mike showed up, and I had a better idea what she was up to. Mike was hanging out with me, so if she wanted to get back into his good graces, and have a shot with him she had to make nice with me and my friends.

At first it had seemed kind of silly to me that Jessica would go to such great effort to get Mike back. Sure, he was cute. He smelled nice and had good hygiene habits. He was nice to me, but from what I'd heard from the other girls that had gone out with him, he was a little pushy, and didn't usually take no for an answer when he was caught up in the heat of passion.

The truth of the matter was slowly dawning on me throughout the course of the day as I kept seeing the same faces in all of my classes. Lunch really brought home the reality of just how small a school Forks high school really was. There were only three hundred and twenty eight kids in the entire school. There were only sixty-nine juniors and sixty five seniors. Hell, there had been more kids in the junior class at my school in Phoenix than were even enrolled in the entire school here. Apparently there weren't a lot of fish in the sea, and options were limited.

That also explained something else. I had thought everyone had been exaggerating when they said that Edward had dated practically every eligible girl in school, but I had been thinking Phoenix numbers where I had 552 kids in my class, and there were 530 seniors. There were only about 50 or 60 dateable girls in the whole school between the junior and senior classes. More if you added in sophomores, fewer if you excluded seniors. It still made him a player, but it was realistically doable. I was sure there was still a healthy exaggeration factor in there even if it was possible. He hadn't lived her long enough to go out with that many different girls, even if he only dated them each once, and I knew that wasn't the case.

I had no intention of becoming a statistic, or another notch on Edward Cullen's bedpost. I didn't consider Mike to be my boyfriend, but I was happy going out with him. Of course I hadn't been here a week yet, and nobody else had asked me out. I was pretty sure that now that Jessica knew Mike and I were just friends, she wouldn't hesitate to spread the news around. I wondered what kind of effect that would have.

Tyler appeared to be dating Lauren, Dean was spending time with Michaela. Tanner was apparently happy to give Mike his shot with me because he was friends with Mike. I didn't really know a lot of other boys here yet. It wasn't that I was looking for guys to go out with, but If Mike was the only boy I did go out with, it kind of looked like he was my boyfriend.

I shook myself out of my reverie as I looked around the room to see what was going on. Angela and Jessica appeared to have settled into a hostile truce. Angela was nice to her, and Jessica ignored her. Tyler and Lauren had followed Mike and Jessica over. Ben was sitting with Angela, and her mood had improved markedly. Haley, Michaela and Sara were quietly discussing something, and they'd stop and glance up at me from time to time.

Alice was sitting with her family. She looked over at me and sighed forlornly, like maybe she'd prefer to sit with us, but Jasper had his arm around her waist, and she snuggled closer to him. Edward glanced at her for a second, and then turned and looked at me. He smiled and nodded, and didn't try to disguise the fact that he was staring at me with barely concealed lust now.

It was hard to turn away from his gaze, like a bird transfixed by the stare of a viper. Frozen and unable to look away until the snake strikes and seizes its prey. I felt a delicious thrill run through me as I stared back into Edward's brilliant green eyes. I knew it was most likely an illusion, and I felt silly, but his eyes were beautiful. I was lost staring at the perfection that was Edward Cullen's face, when Sara shook my arm and broke me out of my trance.

"Hey, Bella, are you done?" she asked.

Done? Oh, we were at lunch. I was supposed to eat… "Sure, lunch isn't over already, is it?"

She followed my gaze to where I was looking and chuckled. "You can stare at Edward next period. He's in our Biology class. Come on, I need a cigarette. Let's go for a walk."

"They are… very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.

"Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all together though — Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they live together." Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically.

But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip.

"Wait, Emmett and Rosalie are together? I thought Edward and Rosalie were a couple. They were dancing together at the New Years Eve party."

"Nope, Edward's single for all the good it'll do you," Jessica said. "Besides being couples doesn't stop the rest of them from dating when they want too."

"Come on, Bella. I need that cigarette. We can talk about Edward across the street.

"Ok, sounds good. That tobacco free zone talk was starting to worry me."

"Come on, we have time. We have to go across the street to get off school property. At least they have an open campus, if they won't give us a designated smoking area."

We got up and dumped our trays and walked out of the cafeteria. We crossed the student parking lot and walked across the street. Sara took out a pack of cigarettes, and offered me one. I took it and thanked her, and she took one and held it between her lips. She offered me a light, and then lit her own cigarette.

"So, Angela said she taught you some basic defensive techniques, but you want to learn how to attack too. She said you want to be able to fight back. Why? Who do you need to fight?"

"I had an incident in Phoenix, shortly before I moved here. I was attacked, but I fought him off. Angela said I struck out with the force of my will, and she showed me an energy matrix for TK that she thinks I used, but it was purely reflex. I got lucky. I don't want to have to hope I get lucky next time. I want to know what to do."

"Carry a can of mace and take a self-defense class. Using Magick to attack and fight skirts the edge of being drawn into the dark. It's dangerous and can kill you, or worse."

"I took a self-defense class, and I have a can of mace. Will a can of mace stop an Incubus?"

"No, it won't… So you found an incubus, and you survived?"

"They don't all kill their victims, you know…"

"It sounds like you thought he was going to kill you, or you wouldn't want to learn how to fight. Are you buying into Angela's good vampire theory? Or do you know something you aren't telling us?"

"You seem to know more than you're telling too, Sara. Let's be honest with each other. You tell me what you know, and I'll tell you what I know."

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it? I don't see how Angela can't have figured it out by now, but her head has been on cloud nine ever since she got engaged to Ben. Besides, she doesn't date. I've gone out with Edward more than once. I played along, and let him think he was muddling my thoughts and making me forget. I let him drink my blood when he had sex with me. Edward and I see eye to eye on a lot of things, but not the important ones."

"So you do know about the Cullen's. Why haven't you told Angela?"

"I have my own reasons. Why haven't you told Angela about them? I heard you talking to Alice in Trig."

"I don't know why she's searching for them. I don't think she'll hurt them, but Alice is my friend, so I was waiting until I learned more. Umm… Edward really drank your blood? And you let him?"

"Did it ever occur to you that that's why their all couples, but date other people? When they invite you out for dinner, they don't bother to mention that you're the dessert. They need human blood to survive. They can eat food, but most of them actually prefer animal blood over human food. They could probably survive on donated human blood to supplement their hunting, but their craving for physical intimacy and lust for the pleasures of the flesh make them seek out willing human partners. They just don't tell them about the blood part, and use their compulsion to make you forget the unsavory details."

"Wow, you know a lot about them, don't you?"

Sara took a small silver pocket watch on a silver chain out, and opened it to check the time. She snapped it shut, and said, "We better start heading back, or we'll be late for biology."

"So, we're still on for this afternoon, right? You'll teach me to fight? I want to be prepared if I run into someone like James again."

"James? Your Incubus friend? Ok, I'll help you. I'll teach you how to fight, but you'll have to do everything I tell you. Even if you don't like something you have to do…Once we start down this path, there is no return… Some of the things that you'll have to do are morally objectionable to people that embrace the light. If you agree, I'll help you, but you'll owe me a favor in return."

"What favor?"

"I won't tell you now, but when I ask you for it, you'll know."

"Ok, I'll do it."

"That's it? No questions? You don't want to know what's involved? You'll just do it?"

"I don't know what questions to ask, and regardless, I know I have to learn this, or I'm an easy target. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Good, you have the proper attitude. Remember that when the time comes; whatever it takes. Now let's go to biology."

"Wait, I have one question… You said you played along with Edward. You let him think he compelled your mind. Does he know you know about him?"

"Oh yes, Edward knows, but he's mad at me now, and ignores me. We aren't on speaking terms, but I'm sure he'll want to talk to you."

We walked the rest of the way to class together in silence.

When we entered the classroom, Sara went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to and sat down next to Angela. They were already neighbors. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face — it was hostile, furious.

I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled.

This close, I saw that his eyes were no longer the brilliant emerald green that I'd seen from a distance. His eyes were a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. They weren't the red orange hue like Jasper and James's eyes, but darker that Alice's had been.

Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me. I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad.

Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odor. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher.

Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down. I casually doodled two dots on the top of the page in my notebook, and focused on them to let my eyesight drift and realign into the sight that let me see the extra layer of patterns of energy that overlaid the mundane reality. It was getting easier to shift back and forth, and I hoped that one day soon, I'd be able to forgo using the card or dots altogether.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me. Slowly during the lecture portion of the class, he began to relax his stiff position on the edge of his chair, finally sliding closer as he assumed a more normal confident and nonchalant attitude. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he slowly relaxed, as his tight fist loosened. He flexed his long sinuous fingers to ease the strain.

He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother. I was surprised to see what appeared to be an intricate tattoo on the inside of each of his forearms. They glowed with power as I observed them with my realigned sight. I hadn't noticed them until I sat down, and I wondered if anyone else saw them besides me.

What was wrong with him when I walked into the room?

Why was he able to deal with me sitting next to him now?

It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve, but I knew it had everything to do with me. Edward knew I was different, and somehow that difference was affecting him. I surreptitiously studied Edward, but nothing appeared to have changed in his aura and it appeared normal for him. I realized the tracery of faint silver threads was back in place again. For some reason the silver threads bounced off of me, and just danced around the edges of my aura, as though it was too powerful to allow them entry.

I glanced back at Sara, and was surprised to see that her aura was easily as bright as Angela's, but it pulsed with a dark green light. There were swirls of yellow, and a violet band that was almost as dark and vibrant as Angela's, but the dark pulsing greenish black was the predominant color. It looked a lot like Edward's aura, without the reds.

I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his dark ochre eyes full of the smoldering lust I'd observed on previous occasions. I hastily looked away from him, shrinking against my chair.

Mr. Banner completed his introduction to cellular anatomy, and then gave us an assignment to help us prepare for the upcoming lab. There were prints of the phases of mitosis in our text books, and we were to free hand sketch copies into our notebooks. We would label the pertinent details so we would know what to look for when we performed the lab next week. I started working on the assignment and my eyes stayed carefully focused on the sketch I was drawing.

"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.

I looked up, stunned that he was speaking to me. He was sitting closer to me as he assumed a more confident and nonchalant posture, and his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet, disheveled — even so, he looked like he'd just finished shooting a commercial for hair gel. His dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on his flawless lips. But his eyes were careful.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I haven't had a chance to introduce myself yet. I missed you at the New Years Eve party. You must be Bella Swan."

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? He was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; he was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say.

"H-how do you know my name?" I stammered. He laughed a soft, enchanting laugh.

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. Alice hasn't stopped talking about you since she met you outside the Coffee Shop Saturday morning."

I smiled. I knew it was something like that. I really needed to find some time to spend with Alice.

"I'm sorry about what happened Sunday night at the party" I blurted out.

He seemed confused. "What do you mean, Bella?"

"I meant about your spell" I said. "I saw the tracery of silver threads, and I was just curious, I reached out to touch it, and one of the threads wrapped around my finger. It scared me, and I flinched away and warded myself by reflex. I didn't mean to collapse the network. It was an accident…" I tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron.

"Oh, that was you then, I suspected…" He let it drop. I looked away awkwardly.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner was circulating through the class checking people's progress, and he was moving down our aisle at that moment.

I returned to work on my sketches, working primarily from memory. I had a firm image in my minds eye from the last time I'd performed this assignment, and hardly glanced at the book as my pencil flew over the page.

I was soon done with the sketches, which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at him… unsuccessfully. I glanced up, and he was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes.

Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in his face.

"You aren't wearing contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No."

"Oh," I mumbled. "Alice and Jasper were wearing contacts on Sunday night, so their eyes would appear normal when they were around me."

"I have nothing to hide," He shrugged, and looked away.

I vividly remembered the brilliant green color of his eyes the last time he'd stared at me from across the room — the color was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Sitting this close to him, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I understood what that meant in a broad sense, but for some reason he wasn't wearing contacts like Alice and Jasper had. I didn't understand why not, or maybe Forks was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word. He had to know the effect being close to me would have on his glamour. That was why Alice and Jasper were wearing contacts on Sunday night, so their eyes would appear normal when they were around me.

Why bother going to the trouble of using a spell to hide his true eye color if he wasn't going to try and maintain the façade when he was with me? He had to know sitting close to me would blank out his camouflage, or was he arrogant enough to think he would be different? Of course, Angela had been able to adjust her glamour to work in my presence. Maybe he'd thought he'd be safe, and had failed?

I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again. It seemed like it was a definite possibility.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at our notebooks, and then stared more intently to check the labels on the sketches.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Isabella should copy the sketches for herself?" Mr. Banner asked.

I was affronted that he would think that I had let Edward do my work for me, but then I looked at Edward's notebook, and his sketches looked almost identical to mine, barring trivial details. It looked like the same person had done doth sets.

"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she drew the sketches herself predominantly from memory, and was done almost as quickly as me. I'm impressed."

Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical.

"Have you done this assignment before?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. We had already covered this unit at my old school."

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess its good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.

"I hear the weather report is predicting snow. That'll be a nice change from the rain at least." Edward said.

I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. It was like he had heard my conversation with Alice and Mike at the restaurant on Sunday night and was trying to prove me wrong.

"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else.

I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate.

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.

He looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine.

His face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded.

"Why did you come here, then?"

No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding.

"It's… complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking.

"My mother got remarried," I said.

"That doesn't sound so complex," he disagreed, but he was suddenly sympathetic.

"When did that happen?"

"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me.

"And you don't like him," Edward surmised, his tone still kind.

"No, Phil is fine. Much too young, to be married to my mother, but nice enough."

"You know, age is just a number if the people involved are mature enough to want to be together."

"God, you sound like Renee! She made the rules, and then she broke them. The same rules need to apply to everyone. You don't get to pick and choose which ones to follow."

"Perhaps, is that why you didn't stay with them?"

I couldn't fathom his interest, but he continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life's story was somehow vitally important.

"Phil travels a lot. He plays ball for a living." I half-smiled telling a half-truth.

"Have I heard of him?" he asked, smiling in response.

"Probably not. He doesn't play well. Strictly minor league. He moves around a lot."

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." He said it as an assumption again, not a question.

My chin raised a fraction. "No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." Renee didn't 'send' me - I got to choose. He didn't need to know what my alternative was. Perhaps it was all just semantics in the end, but the distinction was important to me.

His eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," he admitted, and he seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact.

I sighed. Why was I explaining this to him? He continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. I've never spent more than a couple of weeks a year with my dad while I was growing up… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie before I go off to college." My voice was glum by the time I finished lying.

"That was nice of you to think of you father. Fathers deserve time to be with their daughters to see them grow up. They're little for such a short time, and then suddenly one day they're adults."

"I hear you. Charlie seriously needs to realize I'm grown up now, and back off."

"You know you'll never stop being his little girl, no matter how grown up you are. He'll always worry about you."

"Well, I've been going out of my way to make everyone else happy. I could do with a bit less of his worrying."

"So now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

"And?" I challenged.

"That doesn't seem fair." He shrugged, but his eyes were still intense.

I laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," he agreed dryly.

"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why he was still staring at me that way.

His gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," he said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced at him, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away.

"Am I wrong?"

I tried to ignore him.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

"Why does it matter to you?" I asked, irritated.

I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make his rounds.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get.

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.

I glanced at him without thinking… and told the truth again. "Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — my mother always calls me her open book." I frowned.

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.

"You must be a good reader then," I replied.

"Usually." He smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultra white teeth.

I turned away and tried to ignore him, doodling on my notebook again. It was getting close to the end of class, and I though he was done talking to me. I was surprised when I heard his voice again, and turned to look at him, but avoided his eyes this time.

"I was wondering, Bella. Do you have plans this Saturday? I was thinking about driving into Seattle for the day, and I'd love it if you'd like to accompany me. We could do some shopping, have dinner, and see a show or go dancing at one of the night clubs."

"Are you asking me out on a date, Edward?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, yes I was as a matter of fact. Will you say yes and go out with me on Saturday? I would greatly enjoy continuing our conversation. I'd like to learn more about you."

"No, I don't think I will. I'm very sorry, Edward, but your reputation precedes you, and I have no intention of becoming a statistic or your next conquest." I made the mistake of looking up and I met his gaze.

He frowned, and then Edward leaned forward in his chair, smiling as he moved closer until his face was just inches away from mine. His sweet intoxicating breath washed over me and made my head swim as his eyes bored into my soul.

"Please, Bella. I just want to be friends with you. We'll just spend some time together and get to know each other better. Say that you'll go with me on Saturday." My head was swimming and it felt like I was in a fog.

Everything seemed far away and unreal like a dream… I didn't want to say no anymore. Not when he asked me like that. My brain was so foggy and I had a hard time even remembering my own name until he said it.

Suddenly I knew what was happening, and the realization cut through the fog like a knife. Energy crackled through my fingertips, and I surreptitiously swept the warding gesture through my aura galvanizing it into a shield.

Edward jerked back as though I had slapped him, and I felt like doing it.

"You will not compel me, Edward Cullen!" I hissed at him. "Is this how you get so many girls to go out with you? You should be ashamed of yourself! You're no better than a common thug! I shudder to think what indulgences you've enjoyed with your 'dates' because of your ability. Do all of them even make it home again?"

Edward averted his eyes and wouldn't look at me again until the class was about to end. It startled me when he spoke, and I realized he was addressing me.

"Please accept my most heartfelt apology, Ms. Swan. I have acted most egregiously, and I have shamed my family. Please believe me when I tell you that this is not the norm for my family and my behavior this afternoon was most reprehensible. I will remove myself from your presence without delay. I shall not trouble you again."

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose — he was much taller than I'd thought — his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.

I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so depraved and evil. The very thought that he would sink to attempting to control my mind to get me alone made my skin crawl. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency.

Mike skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me and I smiled at him. It made me feel better to know that there was a nice normal guy that was interested in me.

"That was awful," he groaned. "The pictures all look exactly the same, and I'm a lousy artist.

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, "I like to draw. Maybe I can help you with your homework." Mike brightened at the suggestion.

"I've done the lab before, too, so maybe we could do some studying to prepare for it." I added and his smile got even bigger.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it.

I tried to sound indifferent. "He asked me to go out with him on Saturday."

Mike seemed crestfallen, and frowned. "What did you say?"

"He was smug, and acted like he was gods gift to women, so I told him no. He kept trying to talk me into it, and I wanted to slap him." Mike liked that response, and was beaming as we walked out of the room.

We walked to class together and Mike supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He was looking forward to work tonight. He was anticipating a new shipment of some kind of gear to arrive. It would need pricing and possibly a display setup. He was excited about us working together.

Mike lingered by me instead of heading to the locker room. "I'm sorry you got stuck sitting next to Cullen, maybe we can get Mr. Banner to swap some seats around."

"Then somebody else would just get stuck sitting next to him. I can handle Edward, and I wouldn't want to inflict him on anyone else." Edward couldn't control my mind. I wouldn't want some poor hapless girl to get stuck next to him and become his next unwitting victim simply because I wanted to be away from him.

I smiled at him before walking through the girls' locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. I was going to have to be nice to Mike sometime real soon.

The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. I needed to bring some gym shoes from home. At school in Phoenix, only two years of P.E. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years. Forks was literally my personal hell on Earth.

I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries I had sustained — and inflicted — playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated.

Alice, Haley, and Michaela were all in this class too. Haley and Michaela did pretty good, and held their own. Neither was what I'd call talented, but they could serve the ball, spike, and score points.

Alice looked pissed off, but smiled at me apologetically. She came over to where I was sitting before the end of class.

"I'm so sorry about what happened in Biology, Bella. Edward was a jerk. He never should have pulled that stunt. That's not how we do things, and he's very remorseful. Don't you think you could give him a second chance?"

"He didn't have a first chance, Alice. I'll trust you if you say you aren't like that, and that's not your typical MO, but I have no intention of going out with the biggest player in the whole school just to be the next notch on his bedpost. Besides, I have no desire to be the midnight snack at the end of the date!"

"Don't knock it until you've tried it. I hear it makes for totally mind blowing incredible sex. It's supposed to be the best you'll ever have. Once you try it at least."

"Yeah, Alice, any sex I have will be the best I've ever had, considering I haven't had any."

"You know what I mean, Bella, and you have enough experience with guys to know what better would feel like even it you haven't gone all the way yet." I blushed at her comment, and wondered if she knew how close I got with Mike on Sunday night.

"You're my friend Alice, and I trust you. I'll consider being friends with the rest of your family if they like, and maybe even Edward, but it's going to be a long road to hoe before he ever regains my trust," If that was even possible.

"That aside, I have no intention of dating any of you, or volunteering myself for the dessert menu. Friends don't let friends date and drink, Ok?"

The final bell rang at last, and Alice left to go to the locker room to change. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.

When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.

Edward Cullen stood at the counter in front of me.

I recognized again that tousled bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for Mrs. Cope to finish.

He was chatting with her in a low, attractive voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the negotiation. He was trying to trade from fifth period Biology to another time — any other time. Apparently none were available.

I just couldn't believe that he was doing this again so soon after what had happened in Biology. I knew exactly what was going on from the low attractive sound of his voice. The way he leaned in and smiled. The blank vacant look on Mrs. Cope's face as she stared into his eyes and mechanically answered his questions. He was controlling her mind to impose his will upon her, but apparently she didn't have answers that he liked.

The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face.

The girl who came in merely stepped to the counter, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and slowly he turned his defiant stare on me — his face was absurdly handsome — with piercing, lust-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine excitement sending an electric hum through my body, sparking my arousal and an intense longing and desire. The look only lasted a second, but it warmed me despite the freezing wind.

I felt my anger rise again at my body's apparent betrayal. He was a disgusting creature that used his superior gifts and talents to prey upon the weak and less fortunate. He was no better than James. He had apologized to me for attempting to compel my mind, and had acted truly remorseful, but then here he was less than an hour later repeating his despicable act. I was appalled that I could feel such an intense attraction to such a wicked vile creature, but the truth was undeniable. I did feel something for him, and I knew I wanted him in that instant. It stunned me and it rocked me to my core.

Then reality crashed back down on me and I thrust those feelings aside. Had he only apologized to me because he was unsuccessful? If I had agreed to go out with him, would he have been even remotely repentant that he had used his gift and succeeded? Would I have been his next conquest if I wasn't special and could force him to stop? I blanched at the thought of Edward taking me away to some quiet place like James had. My knees were weak at the thought of what he could have done…

He turned back to Mrs. Cope.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help," and he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.

I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip.

"How did your first day go, dear?" she asked maternally.

"Fine," I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced.

Angela, Haley, and Sara were waiting for me at my locker when I got done in the office. We walked out to Angela's car. It was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, warm and dry in this damp green hell, a personal hell, my very personal hell. I sat in the passenger seat, just staring out the windshield blankly. Angela kept glancing over at me as she drove, but soon enough the heater was warming the car, and I felt a little better. I didn't pay attention as I thought about heading back to Charlie's house, fighting tears the whole way there.

The car pulled to a stop at the curb, and I looked out the window. This wasn't Charlie's house, and I felt lost for a minute until I heard Sara speak.

"Come on, Bella. Let's get the show on the road. We don't have much time to get started."

Angela looked around and stared at Sara intently for a second. Sara smiled back at her and gave an almost imperceptible nod. Angela glared at her for a minute, but then sighed and gave her a resigned look of acceptance.

"You'd better hurry, Bella," Angela said, "If you want to be finished before Mike comes to pick you up." Sara smiled at her, and opened the door and got out.

I looked at Angela, and then back at Haley. She gave me a weak smile, but seemed slightly apprehensive. I turned back to look at Angela.

"You're not coming in, are you." It was a statement, not a question.

"No, this is your path, should you choose to follow it." Angela said, "It is not a path I can take. I cannot be a part of this."

"Why not? Is there something wrong with learning from Sara?

"No, but Sara follows a darker path. She studies things that I cannot, she can teach you things that you can't learn from me."

"Are you ok with this, Ange? You won't be mad at me?"

"No, I'll always be your friend, but if you go with Sara, she will become your teacher now."

This was a turning point then. I could continue to study with Angela, but she couldn't teach me the things I felt I needed to know. I was learning that the world wasn't always a nice place. There were creatures in it like Edward and James that preyed on helpless innocents like I had been up until these last couple of weeks. If I was going to survive, I needed to learn the skills that Sara could teach me, regardless of the cost. I wasn't going to be a victim anymore, and the next time somebody messed with me, they'd be the one that was running for their life if I had anything to say about it.

"Thank you, Angela, for everything."

I got out of the car and walked over to Sara.

"C'mon, let's get started." I turned and followed her into her house.

**Author's Note:**

**Morticia A. Addams** (née **Frump**) is the fictional matriarch of "The Addams Family", created by cartoonist Charles Addams.

The real head of the family…low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are rare…ruined beauty…contemptuous and original and with fierce family loyalty…even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly…given to low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade, henbane and dwarf's hair…


	9. Chapter 9 Lessons

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

I was going to edit parts of this chapter, but it's been done for weeks now, so I decided to post it as is while I work on the more of this story, and the next chapter for "The Mating Dance".

I know, a lot of people are probably saying, "Eww, how can she do that?" But we'll move on in a couple of chapters, and there will be more Edward.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 9 Lessons

_I got out of the car and walked over to Sara._

"_C'mon, let's get started."_ _I turned and followed her into her house._

Physically, Sara's house was an ordinary looking single story ranch style house with an attached two car garage. I still had my eyes focused into the sight to look at the patterns of energy overlaying the mundane reality around me. The house was heavily warded and strong bands of power seethed and churned around the simple building.

We walked up two steps to the front door. Sara reached for the knob and pushed open the door. Nobody was home. It was only a little after two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, and I assumed that Sara's parents were at work. She closed the door behind me, but didn't bother to lock it. I followed her down the hallway to her bedroom.

We went into her room, and it looked like an ordinary enough bedroom if you were seriously into the whole Goth thing. Everything was in shades of gray and black on white, and then almost incongruously there'd be a shock of pink or an electric blue accent. Sara looked good in the long black neo-Victorian dress, but I bet she'd look hot in the tiny red, white and black plaid school girl mini-skirt I saw hanging up.

She put away her school things, and hung up her purse and parasol. Then she turned and looked at me.

"Ok, you're ready for this right?" she asked.

"I said I was, let's get started. Are we going to work in here?" I asked.

"Not always, but we'll start in here today. First let's settle the matter of payment. You promised me a favor. I want to seal that pact."

She walked to the door and shut it. She gestured toward the door handle, and it looked like tiny tendrils of blue energy merged with the lock, and it clicked shut. She turned to the rug in the center of the room, and it rolled out of the way with a gesture. There was a mystical circle painted on the floor.

Sara turned and walked to her desk. She opened a drawer, and took out a long narrow metal object. I didn't recognize it at first, but then realized it was a long steel hat pin.

There was a book shelf against the wall next to the desk. Sara stood in front of it and touched a shelf. The appearance of the books swirled and changed and started to shift. Sara reached for a book on the shelf when their appearance had settled down. She removed a thick heavy looking volume that appeared to be hand bound, and laid it on her desk. She opened the book, and then thumbed through it to the section she wanted. She studied the page intently, and then removed a folded sheet of parchment.

The book and the sheet of parchment faintly glowed from the energies bound into them. Sara walked back over to me, and handed me the parchment.

"Here, examine this and tell me what you think." I unfolded the parchment and studied it.

"Ok, it's a sheet of parchment. There is some form of script printed on it, but I can't read it. There are powerful energies bound into the fabric of the paper. What is it?"

"This is our contract. By signing it, we forge a binding compact that can be used to compel either party to fulfill their obligation. Would you like me to read it to you?"

"Just give me the cliff notes version, and I'm good."

"Ok, just the basics then, I agree to teach you how to use Magick for attack and offensive purposes. This will require some further instruction in the basics, and fundamentals of Magick. In return, you will grant me a favor."

"What kind of favor? Is this something I could give you now?"

"No, it is not yet within you power, but I'm confident that it will be one day soon."

"You're not going to ask me to give up my first born child or any of that fairytale dilemma crap, are you?"

"No, nothing like that." Sara laughed. No giving up of children. If you find a prince you can keep him, no weaving flax into gold."

"I don't have to kill anyone do I?"

"Not permanently, although it might be dangerous if you fail."

"Dangerous to who, and how do you kill someone 'not permanently'?"

"It will only be dangerous to me, and if you are capable of granting the favor, it'll be something you've already done yourself. We're running out of time, will you sign, or are we doing this some other time?"

"Ok, I'll do it. I don't like all these cryptic answers, but I suppose I have to trust you."

"Good, bring the contract to the circle and kneel. Place the contract in the center of the circle."

We were both kneeling inside the circle now, and Sara reached out and touched the circle painted on the floor. Energy flowed through it swirling around the perimeter, and engulfed us in a hemisphere of shifting translucent blue energy. I could feel the power pulsing through the field surrounding us. Sara held her hand over the parchment, and it floated up into the air between us

"How do we sign this contract, Sara?" I asked, feeling a little queasy now as I saw the long steel pin in her hand.

"This is a pact forged in blood, Bella." She raised her hand and pricked her finger with the steel pin. I saw a drop of blood well on her fingertip, and then she pressed it to the contract. I could smell the iron and salt and I felt nauseous. I was sure I turned green and felt faint as my stomach heaved.

"I'm not good with blood… I might pass out… Is there any other way…"

"Let me see your hand, Bella…" I closed my eyes and held out my hand… I felt a sharp stick in the tip of my finger.

"Now touch the parchment…" I squinted my eyes open enough to see the shape of the parchment floating between us and touched the fuzzy shape hanging in the air between us...

Energy flowed sweeping my nausea away like a trivial inconsequentiality and I felt a connection snap between us. It felt like the power flowed straight into my soul, forging a connection between us. The energy flowed through me and centered in my stomach as the pull of contract became a steel cable as thick as my wrist joining us together, and I knew I couldn't resist my obligation to her even if my life depended on it.

It felt like the earth stood still, and everything else in the universe was inconsequential and ephemeral except for the only thing that mattered in all of creation. Sara was staring into my eyes, and I knew she could feel it too. An electric shock flashed down my spine, I was covered in goose bumps and broke out in a cold sweat.

We were bound body and soul to the compact we had forged, and I knew I was obligated to carry through with my part of the bargain. In the mean time, Sara was my teacher, and I was her… apprentice. She was obligated to share her knowledge with me.

"Good, that went well." Sara reached out and touched the parchment. I felt the energy coursing through me ramp down to a manageable level as the contract floated to the floor. Sara touched the circle, and the energy dissipated.

She got up and returned the contract to the book and closed it. Then she picked up the book and put it back on the bookshelf. I was still kneeling in the center of the circle reeling from the surge of energy I had experienced, when I felt Sara look at me.

Sara held out her hand to me and helped me to my feet. She didn't let go, and drew me over to her bed. She sat down on the bed and indicated that I should join her. I sat on the end of her bed facing her as she began.

"I know Angela has taught you some basic theory, and had you help in a ritual. She helped set your lights, and you're practicing the sight. The first and most important rule to remember is really simple. Reality is a lie, the truth is magick. Reality exists the way it does because that's how the sleepers believe the universe works."

"The sleepers?"

"Everyone that is oblivious to the realities of how the universe truly works are sleepers. Your basic John Doe in the street, the kids at school, the clerk at the store, people that don't know about magick, and don't believe that it's real. Most of them can't believe that it's real, and will go to extreme lengths to rationalize what they see to make it fit with what they believe."

"Ok, so if they're sleepers, then what does that make us?"

"Very cool," I rolled my eyes at her, and Sara chuckled. "We are the awakened. Our eyes have been opened to the greater truth about the nature of reality. Most people can't accept the truth, and reject it, or their minds aren't capable of handling it, and they cling to their beliefs to protect their minds."

"Is that what happened to Angela's dad?"

"Sort of, I don't know the whole story, but yes, he rejected the truth. Ok now, the second most important rule to remember is also simple and will keep you out of trouble if you follow it. Never use vulgar magick in front of the sleepers, or you'll build up paradox."

"What do you mean by 'vulgar magick', and what is paradox?"

"Both are excellent questions. Vulgar magick is doing something impossible in front of sleepers that make them question the laws of nature. You know… the fireball and lightning bolt shtick. Pulling a stunt like that builds up paradox. Basically, reality doesn't like to be fucked with. It'll fight back, and try and maintain the status quo. If you're not careful, paradox can backlash and cause all kinds of problems. Paradox is kind of like bad karma. It can happen a little at a time, or build up and then seriously ruin your day."

"Ok, so I assume there's a way to use magick without worrying about paradox then?"

"Always worry about paradox. Never let your guard down, but there are ways to minimize it. Little magickal workings are ok most of the time. Working in private and not letting the world at large know what's going on is ok most of the time. Using magick to make things look like a coincidence is ok most of the time, as long as you hide it from the sleepers. Vulgar magick is a big no no, and will bring paradox knocking at your door."

"I think I get it… We can use magick, but we have to hide it?"

"Basically, yes. For instance, using TK and crushing a car with your hand is bad. It's 'impossible', and would cause you to build up paradox. Causing a tree to fall on the car and crush it could be explained as a coincidence, and would be ok most of the time as long as the tree was big enough to crush the car. Using vulgar magick in front of sleepers, or doing something really big that goes against the laws of nature will cause paradox to build up, until it comes back to bite you in the ass as backlash."

"Backlash? That doesn't sound good."

"It isn't, it's why using magick to fight back is dangerous. Paradox is a fickle force. Sometimes there's backlash; sometimes it waits and builds up. Sometimes it's a hammer and sometimes it's like sandpaper against your skin. Backlash is the negative consequences that happen when reality tries to protect itself. Say you throw that lightning bolt, and it hits your target, but it bounces back and hit's you too. Paradox can cause all kinds of weird shit to happen if you aren't careful. That doesn't mean you can't still do a lot, you just have to be smart and careful."

"Like making the tree fall on the car, right?"

"Yes, that's what we refer to as coincidental magick or static magick. It's the things that you make happen that are indistinguishable from mundane events. The tree falling on the car, somebody getting struck by lightning during a storm, a gas main erupting under the street causing an explosion, these things can be made to happen without generating huge amounts of paradox. It all depends on how likely they could really happen."

"So what if you can't make it look like a coincidence, or say somebody is trying to hurt you? You're stuck, and can't go anything? Am I better off with the can of mace? What about if I'm attacked by James or someone like him again?"

"No, you're not stuck. It just depends on the circumstances, is all. Chances are if someone's attacking you, it probably isn't going to be public, so do what you have to do to survive. Melt their face off, and don't worry about the consequences until after. Dealing with paradox is probably better than being dead or worse."

"The bigger the magick and the more witnesses, the worse the consequences generally. It can be something as simple as your watch running backwards for a while for something small. If you royally screwed up and did something huge, you and the people around you could be sucked into a paradox realm, and get trapped in a temporal causality loop where you'd be forced to repeat a sequence hours or days over and over until you figure it out. Usually you have to do something different to break the cycle to escape."

"A tempor… what…? Seriously? That shit's real? Like on "Stargate" or "Groundhogs Day"?"

"Well, the first time I remember seeing a reference to it in pop-culture was on "Star Trek". It's never happened to me, but there are stories in Angela's journals, and I have seen enough crazy shit go down that makes me believe it could happen."

I looked at the clock again, and it was getting later. "Ok, so I've been warned. Don't pull stunts in public, and If I have too, make it look like an accident. So teach me something useful. I can shield and ward. Angela showed me a little about TK, but how do I kick ass?"

"Alright, Angela told me you have natural talent, and I can see your aura burning like a beacon, so you probably have power to burn. She explained how she generated some simple spells and you could see how they worked. You're probably ready to try some basic energy work."

"Ok, how does that work?"

"Well, normally when we work with somebody new, we have to work in the ritual setting. Casting a circle, calling the quarters, working a spell, etc. are how we train the novice to generate the appropriate energy field and raise the energy needed to cause simple effects. With your talent and raw power we can probably skip some of the preliminaries, and have you try some basic energy manipulation. I'll create an energy matrix for a spell, and see if you can feel it and see how it works."

"Ok…"

"Don't be scared. The trick to making this work is knowing that it will work. Yoda had it right. 'There is no try. Do or do not.' What you're capable of is all in your head. The fact that you can see what's happening puts you light-years ahead of the typical novice. You don't have to make the leap of faith to believe in this, because you can see the energy matrices that I form. This first one is easy, but it's the basis of all fire magick. Watch while I light the candle."

Sara gestured with her fingers, and I saw them sweep a red thread of energy out of nothing. It curled around her fingers and twisted and grew into a network of energy around her hand that traced up her wrist. She passed her hand over the candle on her nightstand, and the red matrix of threads brushed against the wick and caught. It stretched into the shape of a flame, and then the wick burst into flames and the candle was lit.

I studied the candle flame, and now I could pick out the tracery of the red energy threads that writhed through the candle flame. Sara moved her hand away from the candle, and the tracery of red threads around her fingers and hand dissipated and faded away.

"Ok, I see… I think I understand…"

I got up and walked to the nightstand. I reached out with my hand to the flame, and caught hold of the red thread of energy that reached out to greet me. It wrapped around my fingers and hand, and I could feel the excitement in the energy matrix as it danced around my fingertips tingling. It didn't burn me, and wouldn't consume or generate heat until I released it to do so. I drew it onto my hand, and pulled the energy out of the flame, and the candle went out leaving me with the energy matrix in the palm of my hand. I could feel the nature of the pattern of energy and I could sense how it worked and what it would take to form it.

I concentrated on the form of the energy, and reached out with my other hand for the threads that I saw appear before my fingers. They curled around my fingers into the pattern of the fire energy matrix. I compared the energies in each of my hands, and then brought them together and let them merge. I passed my hand over the candle, and the matrix of red energy threads reached out to the wick, and it re-ignited.

"Excellent, Bella, I knew you'd have a knack for this. You're a natural, and a quick study. We should be able to move through the basics quickly if I can just show you the energy patterns and matrices without having to go through a ritual for each one."

"Ok… Lighting candles is cool, but how does this translate into helping me learn to attack? How do I use this in a fight? Give'em a hot foot or toss a lit candle at them?"

Sara chuckled. "No, you've got to be a little more creative. Here, let me show you."

Sara gestured with her hand again, and the matrix of red energy tendrils engulfed her hand again.

"Don't practice this indoors unless you have a fire extinguisher handy or you're well insured…"

I could feel her pouring more energy into the matrix and it grew in intensity. Suddenly flames shot from Sara's hands and formed into a ball of fire that she supported in front of her floating inches above her hands.

"There are a variety of offensive techniques that you can use. You can throw the fireball, you can shoot blasts of flame and heat, or you can simply forgo forming the fireball like this and simply go for the flame thrower effect."

Sara started to pull energy out of the matrix until the fire went out, and only the tracery of red threads around her fingers and hand were left. She let the matrix go and it dissipated and faded away.

"That is so cool. I'll have to try that later outside. Now, how do I turn this off? I saw you let the energy fade and dissipate. How did you do that? When I was in the circle with Angela, the residual energy flowed into the circle."

"Draw the energy out of the matrix like you did when you put out the candle, and then release it and will it to dissipate like you did when you willed it to appear. Be careful about using fire to attack until you have time to practice. It can be very dangerous to you and can cause a lot of paradox effects if you aren't careful with it."

I did what she said and the energy faded into nothingness.

"Very good, Bella, that's perfect…"

"You can see the energy patterns too, like I can, Sara, can't you. Angela said she could see the flow of energy in the circle to work with it, but she said she could really only sense the flow of energy outside the ritual environment. How can you see the energy, but Angela couldn't?"

"I can see some of the energy patterns, but probably not as much as you. I am attuned to certain energies that I work with and have made preparations for."

Sara unbuttoned the cuffs of her sleeves, and pushed the fabric up past her elbows. She had a set of the intricate tattoos on the inside of each of her forearms like the ones I'd seen on Edward's arms in class. They glowed with power as I observed them with my realigned sight.

"Those are just like the tattoos that Edward had on his arms today in biology. What are they? What do they do?"

"You saw the tattoos on Edward's arms? You are good. Usually he has then concealed with powerful glamours to hide them."

"You couldn't see them when he was sitting in class today? He had his sleeves pushed up, and they were plain as day to me…"

"No, I couldn't see them…"

"What about his eyes? What color were they to you?"

"His eyes were green… They've always been green…"

"Hmm… He must have modified the glamour somehow, but I didn't know what to look for. That must be why he wasn't concerned…"

"What do you mean, Bella? What about his eyes?"

"That's how I found out about the Cullen's. I saw through the glamour that Alice was using to conceal the color of her eyes Saturday morning. Then when Angela showed me what glamours are, and explained what James was, I put two and two together, and figured out that the Cullen's must be like James. Alice was wearing contacts on Sunday night at the party, so her eyes would look normal if she got close to me, but Edward wasn't wearing contacts in Biology today. His eyes were a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. Alice's eyes were Golden Butterscotch colored the other day, and Jasper's were red orange ochre when I saw them with out the contacts."

"Don't you see," I continued, "Edward must have done something to modify his glamour. Angela was able to tune the one she used on me, so I could see it. Edward must have figured out enough to make it so nobody else could see through his spell, but I could still see through it. That's why I could see his true eye color and tattoos, but he was arrogant enough to either not care that I saw through them, or he tried to play it off like it didn't matter."

"I knew it had to be something like that! He tried to lie to me and tell me he wasn't an incubus at first, because he didn't have the eyes! I had him figured out as soon as he tried to control my mind to make me forget parts of our date."

"He didn't try to control your mind to make you go out with him, or do other things?"

"No, the Cullen's aren't like that. They live by a strict code of ethics, and they'd never do anything like that. Besides, why would he have to control my mind to get me to go out with him? He's gorgeous, rich, and incredible in bed. He just got mad when he finally figured out that I wasn't going to let him make me forget the parts he didn't want me to remember."

"You've got to be kidding! You wanted to go out with that creature? He's so sick and depraved!"

"Wait, is that why you turned him down?"

"You heard that? I didn't think we were that loud."

"I told you, I have my ways. So he tried to compel you to out with him?"

"Yes…"

"I knew it!"

"What? You thought he'd pull a stunt like that, and you didn't warn me?"

"Well I didn't think he'd go that far so soon, but I knew you were going to drive him crazy."

"What do you mean?"

"Ok, I know you and Edward just met today, but Bella, you're his fucking wet dream come true! The only thing Edward is attracted to more than beautiful young girls is power, raw magick energy like the kind of power that radiates off of you. You've got to realize that you stand out like a beacon when you walk into the room. Anyone that's awakened and is sensitive to magick would see you coming a mile away."

"No way! You think he did that because he likes me? That's sick!"

"You realize why Edward dates so much, don't you? How much do you really know about vampires, Bella?"

"Hell, Sara, I didn't even believe they really even existed until Saturday afternoon. All I've got to go on are legends and myths at this point, and I know some of those are obviously wrong. Angela told me they have free will and can choose to be good or evil just like humans."

"Ok, well here's a bit of lore that's probably not in most of the legends. Vampires can learn to use Magick, just like us, only more of them do than humans. Their enhanced eyesight allows then to see what we see when we use the sight. Vampires can gain power differently than we do. Usually most of the time humans need to perform the ritual to raise the energies that we work with, to boost the natural reserve of energy that is evident in the strength of our aura. A vampire that practices magick can draw power from their progeny, the younger vampires that they have sired and created. They can also draw power from the blood that they feed on, and draw power from their human hosts."

"So you're saying that if Edward drank my blood it would give him a power boost?"

"You're everything he wants all rolled up into one tight little package. You're beautiful and he has a thing for brunettes. You radiate magick like a node where multiple ley lines cross, he can't compel you, and you don't want him. He was probably so blown away by meeting you and sitting that close to you, that he didn't even realize what he was doing. Besides, you're the one that said you wanted to date some guys but didn't want any commitments. Sounds like the same kind of relationships that the Cullen's are into."

"What, you don't actually expect me to go out with him, do you? After what he pulled today, how would I ever be able to trust him? Beside, I have no intention of being his midnight snack or personal energizer bunny for that matter."

"You don't have to trust him. You know you're the only girl in school that he wants to go out with that he can't control. You don't think you could resist him as a guy, without his magick? Why not have some fun?"

"Yeah, I want to have some fun, but I'm trying to make some nice healthy memories. I don't want to think about what happened with James anymore. Being with Edward would just bring all of that back."

"And you think being with Mike is better?"

"Well at least he's human, and he's been nice to me. I like him, but I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

"Yeah, Mike's human, but he isn't any better than Edward. He's worse in my book. Edward was a lot nicer to me and cared more about my feelings than Mike did."

"I know what happened to you Sunday night at the party. You know Mike was my first. We were on a date and I got myself into the same kind of situation. Only I didn't handle it as well as you did. I let things get out of hand and I was too far gone to make him stop. I didn't tell him no when I should have. It was my fault as much as it was his, and I got lucky. We didn't use any protection, but nothing happened. I don't really regret what happened. It hurt, but not too much, and Mike was gentle with me."

"I didn't breakup with him over that, but we really weren't right for each other. The thing is, I'm not the only girl in Forks that can tell that same story, so be careful when you're with him, and make sure you know what you want before it happens."

"How could you possibly know what happened Sunday night? The only person I even talked to about it was Michaela, and I didn't give her all the details. Did you hear something at school? Is Mike spreading stories!"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's something I do. I have skill with psychometry, but I can't turn it off. I see visions about the history of people and things when I touch them. I guess you could say I was psychic before I started to learn about magick. It led to my awakening, and its how I found out about Angela when we were in grade school together. I was the first of her group, both of us worked with her grandfather before he passed away. I saw what happened to you when I held your hand. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner."

"Oh… this mystical stuff is going to take time to get used to… I'm sorry Sara. Mike stopped when I told him too, but I was worried that exactly what you said would happen to me too. I had a feeling he'd just go for it if I didn't make him cum first."

"You're probably right. Edward never did anything I didn't want him to do. Of course it's pretty hard not to want Edward to do all those things to you when you're out with him. If you're looking for some fun, then you should give him a chance.

"Right, like that's going to happen. Let's get back to work, you were telling me about the tattoos, and why you can see the energy patterns we're working with."

"You'll think about it now. You two were made for each other. Ok, the tattoos help attune us to certain forms of energy and make it easier for us to manipulate it. They're like a permanent form of the ritual setting inscribed into our skin. They allow the enlightened to see the energy that we manipulate so we can link to and draw upon the energy."

"When you're ready for them, you'll have a set too, but these aren't something you run down to Port Angeles to get on a drunken weekend. They require work and sacrifice and commitment, not to mention a considerable amount of pain. The special ink that's used burns and requires ingredients that no longer exit in this realm of existence."

"What kind of energy?"

"Destruction, chaos, shadow, the kind of energy you bring to a fight…" Sara gestured again, but this time the darkness gathered in the palm of her hand. She held the dark green and black fire pulsing in the palm of her hand and swirling around her fingers. She flicked her finger with her thumb, and a tiny bolt of dark green and black energy shot from her finger tip and struck the candle holder on the night stand. It shattered into a million pieces as it vaporized and sent pieces flying.

"Ok… That is so cool, but how would I get a set if the ingredients for the ink no longer exist?"

"They don't exist in this realm of existence. When you're ready, we'll travel to where they do exist. But, you're not ready yet, and you have a lot to learn first, which brings us to our next lesson. A little finesse with TK. Angela showed you the basic matrix for this on Sunday, so you have some experience with this already."

The green and black energy matrix was already fading as we talked and I asked my question. I could sense the dark energy, but it made my skin crawl. It was elusive and powerful and seemed call to me, but I didn't try to copy Sara this time. I could sense the danger and held back.

"I haven't really played with TK too much since Sunday afternoon. I know I have some experience with it, but both of the times I worked with it, it got kind of out of control."

Sara was already creating the power matrix as she called to the energy and pulled it into her hand. She reached out and all of the shards of the candle holder responded to the intricate tracery of blue threads. The scattered shards of the candle holder shuddered and moved back together into a neat pile. The pile levitated off the floor, and moved over the waste basket, hovered for a second in mid air, and then suddenly dropped themselves into the trash.

"Ok, you know the telekinetic powers allow you to directly interact with matter. Moving things, picking things up, stuff like that… They're all really variations on a theme. Once you understand the basic energy matrix, the rest depends on how creative you get, and how much finesse you're able to exert. For example…"

Sara got up and took a pencil out of her desk drawer.

"Angela showed you a trick with a pencil. Let me show you mine…"

I could see the tracery of blue threads coil around the pencil, and then it shot out of Sara's hand. It flew across the room like a bullet, and buried half of its length in the cork bulletin board next to her desk, and penetrated into the wall behind it.

"You might want to consider carrying a handful of steel shot in your pocket. They're more effective than mace for us, you don't need a permit, and you won't get arrested for them like you would if you carried a gun. They sell them as slingshot ammo at Newton's Outfitters. Pennies are effective too. Give it a try, and see if you can do what I did."

I flexed my fingers as I sought out the blue threads. They wrapped around my fingers and conformed to my will as I weaved the pattern of energy I knew would use the blue energy threads to effect material objects.

"Ok, how do I use this? I know I need to think about the object that I want to move, and I need to visualize what you want to do to it, but when I picked up the cup, I crushed it because it felt slippery and I thought I was going to drop it. How do I throw something like that?

"It all depends on how creative you get. This isn't limited to your own physical strength. I doubt I could have thrown a pencil hard enough or fast enough with my hand to stick it in the wall. This uses the power of your will and the energy in your aura. This is like what you did when you fought off James."

"Ok, let me try this…"

I looked at the end of the pencil sticking out of the cork board, and I could feel it with my hand, from across the room. I visualized pulling it out of the wall and coming to my hand, and it did. Then I tried to throw the pencil like Sara had. She tried not to laugh when the pencil lazily floated across the room and ineffectually ground its tip against the bulletin board.

"Umm… I seem to be missing something here… Got any pointers?"

"You're over thinking it. For now, don't try and visualize the pencil moving across the room or sticking in, just try and make if fly out of your hand as fast and as hard as you can, and just let it hit what it hits. You'll have to practice with aim a little more, but it's easier when you're starting out."

"Ok…" The pencil came back to my hand… "Just try and make if fly out of my hand as fast and as hard as I can…"

I held up my hand, and exerted my will on the pencil… There was a white flash of light like when I thrown James off of me, and the pencil was gone… But it wasn't sticking in the cork board either. I looked closer, and there was a hole in the board as big around as my thumb. Sara went over and lifted up the bulletin board took it down and laid it on the desk. There was a small round hole was punched clean through the wall, and we could see daylight on the other side when we looked through it.

"Wow! Did I do that?"

"Come on, Bella, let's go find it." Sara said.

Sara reached out to the door and I felt her as she used the network of blue threads to work the mechanism in the lock to open the door. I was going to have to try that out later too. I followed Sara out of her room and out into the back yard. We found the neat round hole in the side of the house where the pencil had punched through the wall, and then we looked around to see if we could see where it would have gone.

I followed Sara across the yard, and the end of the pencil was sticking out of the side of a huge cedar tree, buried almost to the eraser in the shaggy bark.

"Impressive, Bella, that should work for a decent offensive strike until we get you past the basics and I can show you how to really bring the pain if push comes to shove. This is safer than using fire, because it's easier to conceal and isn't as showy."

"…I could hurt someone like this…" My knees felt weak, and my stomach did a little flip as I imagined what would have happened if some person had been standing here instead of just a tree.

"That's kind of the point of this, Bella. Isn't this what you wanted to learn? Angela taught you how to shield, and I can teach you more techniques like that, but you wanted to know how to fight back. This would probably kill somebody human, about as effectively as shooting them with a gun. It would probably slow somebody like James down if you hit him enough times in the right places, but wouldn't kill him."

"This wouldn't kill him?"

"No, he isn't human. He doesn't die the same way a human does anymore. You have to physically destroy his body to kill him. Burning him with fire would work, if you could get him to hold still long enough to be burned. Chopping him into pieces would probably slow him down long enough for you to burn him. There are more effective techniques, but they require more advanced training." Sara tapped the tattoo on her forearm, and I remembered the candle holder.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, Sara. I'm… dangerous… I could kill somebody with this…"

"Keep that in mind and remember it as we proceed. This is a tool, Bella. Just like a hammer or a knife or a gun are tools. Tools aren't dangerous if you learn how to use them effectively. People are dangerous. Not wanting to cause harm is a step in the right direction, but the genie is out of the bottle now. You can't unlearn this, but you can learn to master this ability so you control it effectively and don't make mistakes."

"Ok, I guess I see your point. So, what's next? How do I master this?"

Sara took her watch out of her pocket and opened it to check the time. "We have time for one more basic technique before Mike gets here," and she turned and started walking back to the house. "Mastery will require practice. Using the techniques I've showed you today will help you become familiar with them. Just be careful that you don't let anyone see what you're doing, or you'll have to deal with paradox."

"Practice? What, like lighting candles and moving things? How does that thing with the lock work?" We went back inside to Sara's room, and she closed the door again.

"You can practice the fire magick lighting your cigarette, or a candle or fireplace will work too. You can try lighting bigger fires outdoors, but be careful you don't burn down the forest. Moving things should be easy to figure out. Go someplace private like your backyard or the forest to practice throwing pennies, steel shot or anything else that's convenient. Here, you try the lock. Concentrate on it and feel the machinery and how the individual parts interact. Sense how it moves, and then shift the mechanism."

I let the tracery of blue threads merge with the lock, and I could feel all the pieces. The operation seemed simple, and I moved the tumblers to close the lock. I heard it click shut.

"Very good, Bella, That's a good way to practice too. You can pick up a padlock to practice on, if you don't have another lock you can use. Now come here and let me show you this last technique before Mike gets here. You've seen this one too, and I know you're curious about how it works."

"Ok," I glanced at the clock again, and it was after three thirty. Mike would be here soon, and I wondered what she would show me now.

"Angela showed you a simple glamour already. The basic energy matrix is similar for all simple illusions. They can be difficult to study because the energy pattern is typically concealed by the illusion, and you practically have to dismantle them to study how they work. Now pay close attention as I construct the matrix, and see if you can follow the flow of energy."

Sara gestured with her hand and gathered the pale golden almost colorless threads of energy into her hand and shaped the pattern of energy. I concentrated on the details and I thought I had a fairly good Idea of what she had done.

"Are you following along so far? This is the most basic form of the energy matrix. You use it kind of like TK, except you have to visualize the illusion or the effect you want to create, and shape the energy to achieve that effect. If you can still see the pattern, touch it and see if you can sense how it's constructed."

"Yes, I can still see if, but it's faint and nebulous." I reached out and touched the energy, and I got a clearer sense of how it was put together.

"The clearer the visualization of the desired effect, the more effective the illusion will be. Truly clear and realistic illusions will affect people just like the real thing would, because their minds make it real for them. Weak sloppy illusions will get you in trouble with paradox if people figure out they're illusions, or they don't do what they're supposed to do. It's best to start off small and work your way up."

"So, something like the eye color or hair color is a good way to practice?"

"Sure, just don't go out in public like that unless you had a good explanation of why it's different. People already know what you look like. If you'd been using a glamour since you got here, then it would be different. Here, watch this."

Sara closed her eyes for a minute, and I felt the matrix in her hand shift and change. Then she got up and passed her hands over my face without touching me, but I felt a tingle as the network of energy settled onto me and shrunk to my form like a thin second skin.

"Take a look in the mirror and see what you think." Sara said with a laugh. "Mike will shit his pants if you leave it on…"

I got up and turned around to look in Sara's mirror behind her low dresser, and I gasped totally shocked. She was right; Mike would shit his pants… I was totally Gothed out like Sara. Pale white, black makeup, my hair looked like it was dyed black, and my nails were painted black. All I needed was the clothes and we'd look almost like sisters.

"Ok, this is cool, but I have to go to work soon. So is that the real you, or do you really use makeup? How do I take this off?"

"I use makeup most of the time. I like this look, but here…" I turned to look at her, and she passed her hands in front of her face. She still looked like Sara, but The Goth makeup vanished as her hands passed in front of her. She was sitting on the bed in the same dress, but she was pretty with blond hair and blue eyes and no makeup. She looked like a normal seventeen year old girl sitting on the edge of the bed in her long black dress.

"You're pretty Sara. I like both looks. Now how do I change back?"

"Thank you, Bella. You're pretty like that too. You should just leave it and see what he says…", and she chuckled.

"Maybe another time, but Karen will be there, and it's my first day. I don't want to show up like this and scare them. She might fire me."

"Ok, just concentrate on the glamour and see if you can feel the matrix. You should be able to either dispel it to cancel the energy or you can try to modify it to neutralize the effect making it transparent and invisible. If you want to change your look later then all you have to do is visualize it, and it will change how you look."

I concentrated on the glamour like Sara said, and I felt the nature of the energy. I turned and looked in the mirror. I raised my hands and reached out to the glamour, and I felt it tingle in the tips of my fingers I passed my hands through it in front of my face and felt the energy shift and change. I became transparent and invisible but I left it in place so I could use it later if I needed to. My looks returned to normal as I passed my hands through the energy field and it turned invisible. I turned back to look at Sara, and she was back to her normal Goth appearance too.

I heard the doorbell ring, and I assumed it was Mike picking me up to go to work. Sara got up and unlocked the door with a gesture, and I collected my things to leave to go to work.

"Will you come over again tomorrow after school?" Sara asked "We have a lot to work on to get your basic training finished before we can move on to advanced techniques."

"I'll check my schedule tonight, and then I'll let you know in the morning, ok?"

"Sounds good. Let me give you my number, and you can call me if you have any questions." Sara handed me her cell phone, and I gave her mine, and we swapped numbers. We traded back, and then she answered the door. Mike was standing on the porch.

"Hey, Sara, is Bella here?" Then I stepped up next to her. "Oh, hi Bella are you ready to go?" Mike said.

"Sure, let's get going. I'll see you in the morning, Sara…" I didn't really peg Sara as the touchy feely type, but she pulled me into a hug and squeezed me tight for a minute.

"Be careful, Bella, and remember what I told you." She whispered in my ear, and then she let me go.

"You be good to Bella, Mike. She's my friend, and if you hurt her, I'll kick your ass. I know where you live."

"Yeah, it was good seeing you too, Sara, 'Night."

He turned away and I walked beside him down to his car. He wasn't driving his Nissan 350Z tonight, but there was a huge four-wheel drive SUV parked by the curb. He held the door for me and had to give me a boost up so I could get in. I put my school bag on the floorboard between my feet, and then tried to figure out the seat belt. Mike got in and helped me fasten the off-road harness, and then he pulled away from the curb, and we started toward downtown and work.

"Why are you driving this truck today instead of your car, Mike?" I asked.

"My dad drove to Aberdeen today and picked up a load of new equipment for the shop. It's still in the back, and I need to unload it tonight and get it labeled before we can sell it."

"That's cool. Will I have to help you?"

"Maybe, depends on what my mom says."

"Ok. So Karen will be there tonight?"

"Yeah, for a while… So what did you and Sara talk about?" Mike asked.

"Oh lots of things. She said you and her used to date, but you broke up."

"Is that all she told you?"

"No, she told me more things."

"What kind of things?"

"About what happened when you were dating."

"What, did she tell you I raped her? 'Cause it wasn't like that. I really liked Sara, and she liked me too. That was back before she turned all dark and everything with the Goth shit. I didn't force her to do anything, Bella."

"No, she didn't tell me you raped her. She doesn't regret what happened. She just said she let things get out of hand, and it went farther than she was ready to go."

"Oh…"

"That's not going to happen to us, Mike, right? You know my limits, and just because you think 'I'm into it', you know how far I'm willing to go, right? You know when to stop? I'm telling you right now, I'm not ready to go all the way yet, and I expect you to respect that."

"Yeah, I know your limits, and I won't pressure you. So you're not pissed off at me, are you?"

"No, I'm not mad at you. You haven't done anything to me to make me mad at you. What happened with Sara is in the past, and you aren't with her anymore. Just don't give me a reason to be mad, and we're cool, ok?"

"Thanks Bella. So, if you're not mad at me do you want to go out after work?"

"Maybe, what did you have in mind? I'm only going to have about an hour after we get off before my curfew. I have to be home by ten. It's a school night."

"I don't know… Maybe we could go to the drive-in, and get dessert, or maybe we could talk. Whatever sounds good to you, Bella. I just want to spend some time with you."

"Ok, that sounds like fun. Let's just play it by ear, and see what we feel like doing after work."

Mike pulled around to the back of the sporting goods store and parked so the back of the SUV was by the back door. He helped me open my seat belt harness, and then we got out of the truck. I had to jump down. I stumbled a little, but I didn't fall down.

"C'mon, let's go inside, and I'll show you how to clock in, and then you can go talk to my mom."

I followed Mike inside through the back door of the store. It was mostly storeroom back here, but I remembered where the office was. There was a time clock hanging on the wall, and a rack with manila colored time cards. Mike took one, and then handed me another that said Bella Swan across the top. He pointed out the days of the week printed on the card, and told me to make sure I punched in on the right day. He slid his time card into the time clock, and showed me how to line up the correct line through the little window on the front of the clock. He pushed the card in all the way, and it printed the date and time on the line for start for Wednesday. I followed his example, and punched in on my time card.

There were some lockers next to the time clock, and Mike opened one with his name on it. He took out a red vest with his name tag on it, and put it on.

"You can leave your purse and school bag in the locker here. This one's empty, it used to be Samantha's." Mike pointed out one of the lockers, and the name tag had been scratched off.

I put my school bag and purse inside, and closed the door. There was no lock on it, but none of the other lockers were locked either. I looked back at Mike.

"Ok, good. Now let's go find Karen," Mike said and smiled at me. "I know, she's my mom, but at work she's Karen, to all of her employees."

We walked out into the shop, and there was an older guy in his late thirties behind the back counter helping a customer. Mike introduced him as Wally Davies, and we continued through the shop. Karen was up front. There were a couple of people in the shop browsing around. Karen saw us coming up front and smiled.

"Hi, Bella, all clocked in?" Karen asked.

"Yes, Karen, I'm ready to get started."

"Ok, Mike, help Wally keep an eye on the shop for a while. Bella, come with me. Let's go back to the office and talk for a minute."

"Sure, Karen…" and I followed her into the back of the store and into the office. She closed the door and indicated that I should sit down.

"Ok, Bella, you're an employee of Newton's Outfitters now and I wanted to discuss a couple of things about work here before you get started. I know Mike took you out on a date on Sunday night, and you're going to be working together. Work and your personal lives have to stay separate. I just want that to be perfectly clear from the beginning, Bella."

I blushed, but said, "Of course, Karen. I understand…"

"Just so we're clear… Work is work, and if Mike asks you out on a date, then the date is a date. They're not the same thing, and I expect you to act like you're at work when you're here. Not like you're on a date. I'm not going to interfere or tell you there's any kind of rule against that, but just make sure you keep it out of the work place. Ok? When you're at work, don't expect to be treated any different than anyone else at work, alright?"

"Of course, Karen, I would never expect any special treatment. I had this same conversation with Mike, Sunday night. He knows that I don't want to be treated differently from anyone else that works here. I was very clear with him."

"That's very mature of you. I just wanted everything out in the open. Now the other thing, don't let him get away with any crap while you're working here either. Make sure he keeps his hands to himself, or I want to know about it. Ok? I won't stand for that kind of thing, and I run a professional business."

"Ok Karen... Have you had a problem with this in the past? Is there something I need to know?"

"Not really. Some of the other girls from school have worked here in the past, and they expected special treatment because they were dating Mike. I won't mention any names, but I had to let them go because they couldn't keep their personal lives out of the work place. I just hear the stories around town, and Mike's a guy. He takes after his father, and I don't want stories getting started. Just so we're all clear from the start, things should work out just fine."

That initial conversation was a little awkward, but it was a small town. We settled down into the formalities of starting a new job after that. I filled out more paperwork for payroll deductions and then Karen gave me a red vest like Mike's. She gave me a name tag with my name on it, and got me a name tag sticker for my locker.

Karen showed me where the work schedule was posted. Normally the schedule would be for the week, and the following weeks schedule would be posted on Saturday night. The store was closed on Sunday. I was scheduled to work from four to close again on Thursday and eight hours from ten to six on Saturday.

We went up to the front of the store next, and counted the cash in the register together. She logged me into the system, and helped me setup a password for the cash register. That part was easy. I had used this type of cash register before, and was familiar with how it worked.

Karen explained that Newton's worked on a partial commission system for bonuses. At the end of the month, we'd receive a percentage of the sales as a bonus if we achieved a certain monthly goal. It was an incentive to learn more about the merchandise so we could sell it and hopefully make more sales. There were brochures available on most of the things we sold, and we were encouraged to read them in our spare time to learn about the gear. I'd have to see just how boring this might get, but right now I didn't envision a lot of free time to read product brochures.

Normally whoever helped a customer would ring up the purchase. Otherwise, if it was busy or nobody in particular had helped the customer then whoever was available would man the register to ring up the sale.

We briefly discussed stocking the shelves, but Karen explained that we'd go over that in more detail as the need arose. We discussed pricing, and re-pricing merchandise as the need arose. All of the merchandise had barcode stickers, and that was the one tedious part of stocking merchandise. If the item didn't already have a barcode, then we would have to apply barcode stickers to all of the packages.

The rest was basic retail shop common sense. There was a checklist of daily cleaning chores that we were expected to complete and check off, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, etc. Clothes from the dressing rooms were expected to be folded and returned to the appropriate shelf or rack. Same for the shoe department, unsold shoes had to go back onto the correct shelf in the back.

It was all about what I had expected. Karen finished up with my orientation and training around six thirty, and told me to take a break for dinner. I hadn't packed anything, but I had cash, and there was the deli at the Thriftway next door. I got my purse and walked over to the thrift way to see what they had for dinner.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to see Alice waiting for me in the deli. I hadn't really been avoiding her. I just hadn't been here that long, and I'd been busy between hanging out with Angela and the girls, and hanging out with Mike.

I walked over to Alice and looked into the window of the deli display to see what looked good. It looked like all the hot dishes were put up already, but I could still get a sub sandwich.

"Hi, Bella," Alice said. "So, how's work?"

"Interesting, I guess. Well, new at least. I've worked retail before, but the merchandise is all different, and I don't know anything about camping supplies or sporting goods."

"Hmm… Maybe I could talk somebody into coming around and tutoring you. My family goes camping all the time. We might need to pick up some new gear, too…"

"That would be nice, Alice. There's this commission thing to get a bonus each month, but we have to meet a sales quota to qualify for it. I figured I didn't have a chance, and was just figuring on my regular salary. If you guys could teach me about camping gear, you know, what's good and how to use it, I might be able to actually make some sales."

"I'll talk to the guys, I'm sure they'll help you out."

"Thanks Alice. So, are you ordering dinner? I'm on my break. Maybe we could chat while we eat?"

"Umm… Ok… What do you think looks good?"

"Looks like all they have are sub sandwiches at this time of night. Want to split a roast beef sandwich? I couldn't eat a whole one by myself, and I'd just end up taking half of it home with me for Charlie or throwing it away."

"Uhh… Ok… Order whatever you want, and I'll try some…"

There was a lady behind the counter now waiting, so I placed my order, and got a bottle of water. Alice got one too, and then we left. I wanted to have a cigarette on my break, so we walked around to the back of the little shopping center to find a spot to sit down. There were some crates and pallets behind the store, and we sat down.

I gave Alice half of the sandwich, and she sniffed it experimentally. I started to eat my half of the sandwich, and I thought it was pretty good. Alice took a tentative bite. Well maybe a large nibble, and made a face as she chewed, but she didn't spit it out. She opened the sandwich, and picked at the contents after that.

"You really don't like that much at all, do you? So how exactly does that work? Can you really survive on just blood? Jasper didn't seem too enthusiastic at dinner the other night."

"I guess I'm the most daring when it comes to food. We can eat "human" food, but most of my family finds the practice disgusting. Esme is actually quite an accomplished cook, and I've gotten Jasper to experiment a bit with me. I just find the entire human experience so fascinating. The rest of my family indulges my craving for human experiences."

"Most vampires receive their primary nourishment from an almost exclusive diet of blood. We normally live on a diet of animal blood for our main sustenance just as humans are capable of living on animal flesh. You humans will die without eating growing things from the earth. Vampires will die without human blood."

"Really? You'll die without it?

"Yeah, we need to drink human blood to survive. We'd die without it, but we only need small amounts at infrequent intervals for survival. A couple of pints every couple of weeks is sufficient to meet our needs."

"But you don't kill people, right? You're not sneaking out of town, and going someplace else to kill people and drink their blood, are you?"

"No! My family doesn't live like that, and most civilized vampires don't either. We just take what we need to survive for the most part. Most vampires don't kill their victims when they feed, but there are enough of the stereotypical 'traditional' vampires out there that do kill more out of habit than need that they give the rest of us a bad name. Just like there are human serial killers that murder for sport or to satisfy some sick need, there are vampires that enjoy the thrill of the hunt and revel in the kill. They're the ones that stories get told about. You never hear about the rest of us because we don't get any press, but we still carry the bad rap for the crazies out there. We aren't all like that. We think that they're just as sick as you do."

"So you're ok with Jasper dating other girls so he can have a little snack at the end of the evening? You don't mind if he kisses them or sleeps with them?"

I was done with my sandwich now, and got out a cigarette. I offered one to Alice, and she took it. It was just us girls, so I tried conjuring the fire matrix, and lit my cigarette with a gesture of my fingertips. Alice raised an eyebrow, and I offered her a light. She leaned in and I lit her cigarette too, but she didn't comment on my little display.

"It's what we are, Bella. Vampires and humans are similar in that they both still have free will, they both still have souls and they both can die. Vampires are perhaps closer to the dark than humans are because of our natural desires and the hungers that drive us."

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"You know about me being a succubus. Have you considered the true nature of the Incubus? We have certain desires and urges. Some are easier to control than others. The desire for blood is easily mastered. While it's true that we need to feed on human blood to survive, we do not need to kill to satisfy that need. The lust for the pleasures of the flesh, the burning desire for sexual intimacy with humans is much more difficult to control, and few ever truly master it."

"So, you're saying that they do rape young girls, they just don't murder them? How is that any better?"

"Please, Bella, we have higher standards than that! Nobody is doing any raping. Now seduction, that's another story altogether. Why steal what is freely given if you ask nicely?"

"So, you think making a girl think she wants it by controlling her mind isn't rape?"

"I suppose you could make that argument if we forced any girls against their will, but that's not really necessary. Simply because we have the ability to compel and control doesn't mean we have to use it. It's against my family's personal code of ethics to force any girl, or boy for that matter, against their will. All of the vampires we know feel the same way. Most civilized vampires are like that. It's part of our culture. It's a matter of pride, and we feel we're better than that, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some who do use all of their advantages. Whether or not we allow someone we're with to remember the experience is another matter entirely. That usually depends on if there's biting or blood play involved."

"So if a girl is so turned on that she forgets her inhibitions and does something she'd never even consider if she was out with anybody else, that makes it ok in your book?"

"We are what we are, Bella, and no still means no. We just don't hear it very often."

"Is that what you thought when you were human too! Or did all of that change when you were turned!"

Alice looked away from me, and she seemed very sad. I felt guilty for lashing out at her like that, but it made me mad that she could be so complacent about something as serious as this.

"I sorry, Bella, but I honestly don't know how a human girl would react to this. I've never been human. I wasn't turned. I was born into this life. This is all I've ever known. I love Jasper. He's my soul mate, but I understand he has needs, and he doesn't begrudge me satisfying mine. I know it's hard for you to understand from a human perspective, but it's the way our species works."

"You were never human? But I thought that was how it worked… Well, I guess I don't really know how it works… All I really have to go on are myths and legends. I thought that all vampires were human first, and then were turned at some point to become vampires."

"Yes, that's usually how it works. There's the legend that Incubi are able to father children with human women. That parts not a myth. Children like me are rare. The fact that I survived is even rarer. Usually the mothers die in childbirth. My human mother did. The fathers usually aren't around anymore, and the humans that care for the infants don't realize that they need human blood to survive. I got lucky."

"I'm so sorry, Alice. That sounds horrible. I'm so sorry about your mom… I know I'm not on speaking terms with my mother right now, but I wouldn't ever wish her dead, and I know I'll see her again someday… I'd be lost without her."

"Well, Esme has really been the only mother I've ever known. She's been with me my whole life, and she's raised me. I don't know what I'd do without her, so I understand what you mean about your mother."

It was getting late, and I had to get back to work. I opened my purse and looked at the time on my cell phone. My break was almost over.

"I've got to get back to work, Alice, I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry, but I've been dying to ask you something, if it's not too forward…" I dropped my cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with the toe of my boot.

"What, Bella? I don't mind, I enjoy talking to you."

"Well, today in trig, you commented that all the teachers used to be like Mr. Varner, and you said it wasn't the first time you'd been to high school. How old are you, Alice?"

"I'm seventeen, Bella. Why, do I look older?" she said as she grinned mischievously.

"Well, if somebody asked me, I put you closer to eighteen, but you just come off more mature sometimes. I know you aren't really seventeen or eighteen. If you don't want to tell me just say so, I'll understand."

"It's not that… I just like you. I haven't had a human friend like you before, Bella, and I don't want things to get weird between us…"

"I handle weird pretty well, Alice, if you haven't noticed. I think I can take it."

"Ok, but don't get weird on me… I'm seventy-two. I'll be seventy-three next month."

"That is so cool, Alice! So you're an Aquarius. Don't worry, I'm cool with this. I won't get weird on you… Well not any weirder than I already am… Ok, I have to get back to work now…"

I gave Alice a hug, and hurried back into the store. She seemed surprised, but had a huge smile on her face as she watched me go through the door. The rest of the night flew by. Wally had long since gone home before I had taken my break, and Karen hung around for a little while after I came back to make sure things were running smoothly. Then she left for the night, and left Mike and I to run the shop.

Wednesday night, in fact most of the nights in the middle of the week were pretty slow with only the occasional customer. Mike explained that there were times during the year when it would get busier, and this was one of the lulls, but the store maintained its hours for consistency. The periods right before each of the sports seasons would see a flurry of activity while people bought shoes and required gear to prepare for the upcoming season. We were in the middle of Basketball season now. There was camping and hiking pretty much year round here, but this was the off season. Business would pick up in the spring and stay busy through the summer. This was a good time for me to be trained and learn about the shop and merchandise so I'd ready to help out when things got busy.

Mike got the truck unloaded, and he showed me how to scan the packages into the system. I scanned the bar codes on the boxes while he got the new gear put away on the shelves. We finished up the remaining cleaning chores to prepare the store for the next morning.

I found the steel shot slingshot ammo that Sara had mentioned, and it was even on the clearance table for reduced price. I grabbed a couple of packages, and rang them up and bought them while Mike was busy in the back. I tore the packages open, and dropped the steel shot into my pockets. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I was going to be ready to defend myself.

Mike showed me how to close out my register. We counted the drawer together, and left it in the office. There were no customers in the store, and we were ready to close at nine o'clock. Mike locked the front door and shut down the other cash register. We took the cash drawer into the back office, and shut off the lights. I took off my vest and got my purse and things out of my locker, and we were ready to leave as Mike locked up the office door. He put away his vest and we left out the back door.

Mike locked the back door, and then we walked to his dad's SUV. It was bright out for nine o'clock at night and I looked up at the newly risen full moon as mike opened the door of the four-wheeler to help me climb in. He had to boost me up and help me get in, and I couldn't help but notice how he squeezed my ass as he lifted me into the truck.

"So, Bella, did you think about what you want to do? Do you want to go to the drive-in and get some dessert?" Mike asked.

I wasn't really interested in ice cream right now. To be honest, I was really full of a kind of nervous energy, and I knew I'd never get to sleep tonight. So much had happened today, and I needed to let off some steam. I knew what I wanted to do, and I was hoping Mike could help me out with that. I'd heard stories about Mike, but he had been nice to me. I was going to form my own opinions, and there were still things I wanted to try out. There were other things I wanted to do again, if he was willing.

"I don't feel like dessert right now… Maybe we could go someplace to talk and just spend some time together?"

"We could talk at the drive-in. You don't have to get anything if you don't want to, and we could see who's hanging out…" Honestly he couldn't be that dense, could he?

"Mike, I was thinking maybe someplace more private… Work is over, and you did ask me out, so this is more like a date. My curfew is at ten o'clock, and we don't have much time…"

"Oh…" He smiled. He was finally catching on. "Well, we don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to. It's kind of private here."

"Right here? What if somebody comes by?" He did have a point though. The big SUV had plenty of room, and it had been parked behind the store all night, so it wasn't like somebody saw us drive back here to park. The shopping center was closed for the night, and everyone else had gone home. There was nothing but a huge empty field behind the shopping center. It was dark out, and there weren't any nearby houses. It was kind of private this late at night.

"Nobody will come by. We're behind the store, and everything's closed for the night. If anybody did come by, they'd just drive by out on the highway. C'mon, there's a blanket in the back seat, and we can get more comfortable."

Mike gracefully climbed over the back of the seat, and made it look easy. I probably would have been more comfortable just getting out, and using the door, but he was already in the back. I would have needed his help to get the door open and climb in, so I decided to give it a try. I got up on the seat to try and slide into the backseat like Mike had done, but I guess I was self-conscious and over thought the simple action.

My knee hit the headrest on the seat, and I lost my balance. I teetered for a second on top of the seat back, and then fell head first into the backseat. Mike caught me as I fell into his lap, and then he was holding me in his strong arms as we both laughed at my inept acrobatics.

I stopped laughing when he pulled me against him and my chest pressed against his. His hot hands caressed my cheek and jaw, and his warm moist lips pressed onto mine. I snaked my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair pulling him closer as I shifted on his lap to get more comfortable.

His lips opened slightly wider and I felt the tip of his tongue trace across my open lips. My lips parted and I felt the tip of Mike's tongue slip against the tip of my tongue. Our tongues played as his circled mine and the feeling was just as incredible and electric as it had been Sunday night at the New Years Eve party.

I was feeling excited and my nerve endings tingled as Mike's body pressed against me and his warm moist lips moved on mine. The movement was light and gentle as our tongues met and moved against each other, teasing and exploring. I wanted more and caressed Mike's neck and shoulders as I moved on his lap. Mike was excited too, from the feel of the bulge that grew under me, and pressed into my hip as our kiss deepened and became more ardent.

Then Mike broke the kiss and eased me off of his lap. I didn't want to let go, but he gently disentangled my arms.

"Wait a minute, Bella, let's get more comfortable."

He turned and reached behind the seat for the blanket. I took the opportunity to untie my boots, and kicked them off onto the floor. I pulled the Newton's Outfitters hoodie off and tossed it on the seat as Mike spread the blanket out and tucked it around us. Then I snuggled closer as Mike pulled me into his arms again, and I ran my hands across his chest.

His kisses were harder and more passionate as his warm lips moved on mine and our tongues tangled and slipped against each other. It was slick and sweet and velvety. I lost myself in the moment giving complete attention to the kiss.

I broke the kiss, panting to catch my breath and his warm cheek nuzzled against mine. My hands moved down to caress the hard muscles of his chest and I reached inside his shirt to run my hands across his stomach. He kissed the hollow beneath my ear, and I felt his hot breath against the side of my neck. I lifted the hem of his shirt, tugging on it to pull it up, and then Mike grabbed the hem and pulled it off over his head and dropped it on the seat.

I leaned back into him and he trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips. I greeted him willingly as he tenderly sucked my bottom lip between his for a second.

My hands caressed across the planes of his chest and I found his nipples and played with them for a minute. Then my arms were snaking around his neck and my hands cradled his head and neck as my finger tangled back into his hair pulling him closer.

Time seemed to stand still as we kissed and touched. Caressing my face, his neck, stroking my hair, my hands on his chest, our hands explored, his lips moved on mine and our tongues danced together exploring tasting teasing. We moved together in rhythm as the passion throbbed through our bodies and I lost myself in the sensations coursing through me.

I felt his hands trace across the small of my back as his fingertips searched for the hem of my shirt, and then I felt his hot hands on the bare skin of my lower back as he slipped his hands inside my shirts. I broke the kiss and leaned back as I felt him start to lift my shirts, and then he was pulling it off over my head.

I got my arms free and reached back to unclasp my bra as he dropped my shirts onto the seat next to me. I slipped the shoulder straps down, and pulled the bra out from between us and dropped it onto the seat with my shirts.

Mike's hands moved onto me, and he was cupping my breast with his hot hand. He squeezed gently but firmly, and his thumb stroked across my nipple as he pulled me closer with his other arm around my back. It felt like his touch was hard wired to my core as the sensation flashed through me. I arched my back into his touch, and I felt the coil in my stomach wind tighter.

His hands moved on my chest, exploring and caressing as his thumbs stroked across my bare nipples. I felt them tightened into hard pebbles and a shudder ran through my body as Mike held me and fondled my breasts. He leaned forward and kissed my chest as my hands caressed up and down his sides. His tongue flicked out and swirled around my nipple, and I shuddered again when his lips closed around it in a kiss and he lightly sucked on it. His lips and tongue left a trail of wet kisses across my chest as he found the hard pebble of my nipple on my other breast and gave it the same treatment.

My hands moved up onto his strong shoulders and caressed the bare skin of his back and neck as he kissed my chest and worshiped my breasts. He was kissing my erect nipples and fondling my breasts as his hips moved under me, grinding his hard cock into my ass as I sat on his lap. My arms encircled his shoulders and neck, pulling my body against him as the incredible sensations flashed through my breasts and nipples to my core.

I slid off of Mike's lap and turned on the seat next to him, and kissed up the column of his neck. He trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips, and then his lips were back on mine as his left hand cupped my breast. His kisses were insistent and loving as his hot lips moved on mine and our tongues twisted and slipped against each other. It was smooth and sweet and silky.

I reached down between Mike's legs, and my hand stroked the hard bulge in the front of his jeans. My fingers traced the shape of his hard cock, and he moaned when I grasped his hard shaft through the fabric. I pulled away from his lips as my fingertips found his belt, and worked to open it, pulling it free of the buckle. I opened the button on the front of his jeans, and then found the little metal tab on his fly. I gripped the zipper and then pulled it down letting his fly open.

Mike's hot hands captured my jaw and raised my face to look into my eyes as my fingertips teased through the sparse hair on his lower stomach as I found the elastic waistband of his boxers. I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his, and then my hand was slipping inside his boxers, sliding under the elastic as I explored deeper. His tongue slid between my lips and caressed against mine as the tips of my fingers trailed through the curly hairs at the base of Mike's hard cock. He moaned into my mouth as my hand wrapped around his shaft and stroked along his length.

I stroked back and forth on Mike's shaft a couple of times, and then rubbed my palm over the bulbous head of his cock. I could feel the slippery drop of moisture that formed on the opening in the tip, but it wasn't enough lubrication by itself. Mike groaned when I let go and pulled my hand out of his boxers.

I pulled away from his lips and he let me go, and then my hands were on the waistband of his jeans, tugging them lower. Mike raised his hips and helped me pull his pants and boxers down past his knees, and then he was sitting back on the seat with his jeans around his ankles.

Mike pulled the blanket around us like a warm cocoon in the back seat of the SUV, and I leaned in and kissed him again as my hand wrapped around his cock and pumped up and down on his hard shaft again.

I guessed this was it, my moment of truth, and I wondered if I could really do this. Michaela said it wasn't that bad, and I knew it would be a lot easier to clean up after if I just went for.

I kissed down the side of Mike's neck and then onto his chest. He gasped as I flicked my tongue across his nipple. Just do it already, Bella… I steeled my resolve, and leaned down… Mike moaned as I kissed the head of his cock.

I opened my mouth and swirled my tongue around the head, and it wasn't bad… A little salty from his sweat and pre-cum, but a wave of exhilaration and excitement flashed through me. The thrill was incredible as I slid Mike's cock deeper into my mouth, and I groaned as I felt the coil in my stomach wind tighter.

I had heard enough stories, and gotten explicit advice from Renee to be careful and not drag my teeth across his sensitive skin. Mike's fingers moved into my hair gentling cradling my head as I started bobbing up and down on his erect shaft.

My lips wrapped around his cock, and I swirled my tongue around the head as I moved on him. Mike was moaning loudly with each downward bob of my head. My hand was wrapped around the base of his cock, squeezing and stroking his shaft in time with my oral attention.

"Oh my god... Jesus, Bella… You're sooo good at this..."

I hallowed out my cheeks, and increased the vacuum in my mouth, sucking harder. Mike moaned and his hips bucked as I used my tongue on him flicking my tongue against the underside of his shaft and then circled it around the base of his head.

"So good… You're so hot… God this if fucking incredible…"

Mike moaned loud, as he lost himself in the pleasure. My lips wrapped around him, and my head was bobbing up and down. My hand wrapped around the base of his shaft stroking him and milking his cock. His hands lightly stroked my hair as it slipped between his fingers.

His eyes slipped closed, and his head was lolling back, thrashing from side to side along the back of the seat. His whole body was shaking with the pleasure I was giving him and I knew it was an effort for him to hold back and not thrust his hips up into my mouth and interrupt me.

I tried taking him deeper into my mouth, and I could feel the head of his cock brush against the back of my throat, but I wanted to gag, so I backed off. I swallowed involuntarily with Mike still full in my mouth and it eased the sensation in my throat. Mike moaned as my muscles constricted around him. I knew what to do when the time came.

I reached back with my other hand and hesitantly touched his scrotum, and I heard him moan louder_._ I gently palmed it for a moment, before rolling his balls around in my hand. A startled moan escaped his lips at the amazing new sensation this apparently generated, but I was only just getting started. Thank god for the internet and deliciously smutty stories. There was so much I wanted to try.

I slowly released his scrotum, and slid my hand back beneath it with my palm facing up, and extended my index and middle finger, and began gently massaging his perineum.

"Ooh God!" Mike moaned out loudly, totally startled by how good the gentle pressure felt.

I felt Mike tense up, and I sensed his imminent release.

"Bella... I... Oh god… So good… Baby, I'm going to... Ooh! Bella!"

He lightly tapped my head in warning, but I wanted this and I held tighter and sucked harder. With a tremendous groan he exploded down my throat, panting, twitching and moaning in ecstasy.

I felt Mike's orgasm splash into the back of my throat and I didn't even think of pulling away or spitting it out. His cock was deep in my mouth, and I locked my lips around him and swallowed. It was like what I'd tasted Sunday night, but it was hot and salty and filled my mouth as I tried to swallow all of it down. I got most of his cum, but a little dribble escaped and ran down my chin.

I gave him one last lap of my tongue up his shaft, and wiped my chin before placing a quick peck on the head of his cock. I sat back on my heels with a smug, satisfied grin plastered across my face. That was almost as incredible for me as it had been for Mike, and my panties were drenched. I was so turned on and horny right now, it was a good thing Mike had just shot his wad, or I might have just let him go for it.

Mike sat there limply on the backseat of the SUV in post coital bliss, grinning like a fool.

I snuggled up closer to him again. He turned to me, and pulled me into my arms, nuzzling his nose into the hair draping over my neck and shoulders. He dug his way through it until he reached the skin of my neck. He began playfully kissing and nibbling on the soft flesh there. I was giggling and squirming from the playful activities of his lips.

After a moment, his kisses became slower and he opened his mouth against me placing open mouthed kisses along my neck and collar bone. My squirming settled, and my breathing was quickly became heavier and labored.

I was wiggling my hips back and forth in my spot on the seat, rubbing my thighs together to get friction. Mike's hand absently traveled over my upper body, caressing my chest. I was squirming again, but for a different reason now as my hard nipples pressed into the hot palms of Mike's hands.

I turned my head, and used my hands to pull his face away from my neck and collar bone, up to meet my lips. We met and I moaned into his mouth as our lips crashed together and his tongue pushed into my mouth_. _Mike palmed my bare breasts, circling his thumbs over my nipples, stroking the hard pebble with his hot digits.

The feeling was intense and erotic, but I needed more, and I took Mike's hands and slid them down my stomach to the button on my jeans. He popped the button open, and then his hand was tugging my zipper down, opening my fly.

Mike kissed along my jaw and then the hollow beneath my ear. He nuzzled against my cheek and then breathed against my ear.

"How far…?" he asked, testing my boundaries again. I reached between his legs, and his cock twitched in my hand already semi-erect. He'd quickly be ready for action if I told him it was ok…

"Not all the way… Do what I did to you if you want…" I moaned into his ear.

Then Mike was easing me back against the seat, gently pushing my shoulders down so I was lying on my back. I felt his hands on my pants tugging my jeans down my hips, and I lifted up so he could pull them down past my ass. He reached for my ankle, and pulled one leg free, and then finished taking my pants off my other leg and dropped them on the floor. Mike reached for my panties, and his fingers slipped under the elastic band. I lifted my hips so he could take them off and he pulled them down my legs and off my feet, and they joined my pants on the floor.

I was naked now except for my socks in the back of the SUV under the blanket with Mike, and then I felt his hands caress up the creamy skin on the insides of my thighs. My breath caught as his hands hooked under my knees and he spread my legs around his body. My feet slid back on the seat as Mike pushed my legs back and I bent my knees to give him room to touch me.

Then Mike was moving between my legs and I felt his hands stroking and caressing me. He kissed the inside of my thigh above my knee, and then trailed kisses down the inside of my thigh and onto my lower stomach as his hands stroked my smooth flesh ahead of his lips. His hot hands moved onto my sex, and I felt his hot nimble fingers trail along my lips and spread the folds apart. His finger trailed circles around my clitoris and I bucked involuntarily into him as a strangled whimper escaped my lips.

My heart was racing and my breathing was hitched. The intensity of his delicate touch sent electric jolts down my spine and hot twinges ricocheting around my pelvis. I took in a sharp breath and tried to calm myself down as I felt his nose trailing back and forth across the top of my pelvic bone before slowly going further south into my pubic hair.

His hot probing fingers trailed back and forth spreading my slippery fluids around. My breath shuddered from between my lips and I laid my head back onto the bench seat. My body was screaming for penetration and I fought to keep myself from bucking my hips up into his hand.

I heard music coming from my purse forgotten on the floor of the SUV. It was the ringtone from my cell phone. Shit, ignore it. It would go to voicemail…

His fingers slid down to my entrance, slowly teasing me before pressing his middle finger inside. I felt myself shudder with pleasure, and I squeaked and let out a strangled cry, trying to keep my responses as quiet as I could manage out of long habit from trying to avoid letting Renee know what I was doing when I touched myself.

The music cut off as the call went to voice mail, and then suddenly it started again. Somebody was going to die for this… God the sound was annoying…

I forgot about it as I felt Mike quickly shift and lean in, and then suddenly I felt his tongue against me. I gasped at the hot wetness as it lapped flat against me from just above where his finger was penetrating me, and then up to the throbbing peak of my clit.

I heard and felt his smooth moan vibrate against my heated flesh. He circled his tongue around my clit, flicking and teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves as it poked out of its hood. He began lapping his tongue up and down between the folds, moving from where his finger pumped into me then back up to circle and tease my clit.

Jesus Fucking Christ! The goddamned phone started ringing again… Mike pulled back but his finger kept pumping into me.

"Do you want to check that? It might be important…"

"God… Don't stop… Where's my fucking purse…"

I fumbled around on the floor board for a minute as Mikes tongue went back to work. I found my purse, and pulled out the offending device that was ruining my mood.

I clenched around Mike's hot finger as I wriggled impatiently beneath him. He groaned against my sensitive flesh as he continued to lick me. I looked at the cell phone, but it wasn't ringing now and I gave myself to the moment.

Then he inserted his index finger to join the middle finger already inside of me and the sensation of fullness was incredible. It was so tight as he pumped his fingers into me. I'd never felt so much inside of me before. It was new and fantastic and then he curled his fingers upwards finding my sensitive spot at the same moment that his tongue pressed against and over my clit again.

My back arched and a yell of pure bliss rang out at the shocking, glorious pleasure that shot through me. Thank god we were parked behind the deserted shopping center. I was sure people a block away would have heard my cry.

Mike pulled back startled at my howl of pleasure, "Are you alright, Bella?" Mike asked with concern in his voice.

I reached for his head and tangled my fingers into his hair pulling him back between my legs.

"God… don't stop now! That was incredible…"

The fucking music started again, and I remembered the cell phone clenched in my hand. I glanced at the caller ID and groaned. Then I flipped the phone open to answer the call.

"This had better be goddamned fucking important, Alice…"

Mike chuckled against me as I answered the call and his tongue went back to work. He resumed pumping his fingers into me, quickening his pace while his tongue frantically lapped at my swollen, sensitive skin. I was fighting desperately against my instincts to vocalize how amazing what he was doing to me felt as I listened to Alice on the cell phone...

"_Stop now, Bella, You have two minutes left to get dressed. Look out the window, now!_"

I rose up on my elbow and looked up out the window. Holy Fucking Shit! There were headlights moving towards us. My blood ran cold and it felt like somebody dumped ice water on me as the red and blue lights on top of the car started to flash.

"_Pants, Hoodie, kick the rest under the seat. Do it now!_" Then the call clicked off and ended.

"Shit, Mike, stop!" I pushed him away as I frantically grabbed for my pants. "Get dressed, it's the cops!"

Mike jerked back startled, and then looked over his shoulder at the fogged glass. You couldn't see any detail through the steamy windows, but the glow of the approaching headlights was unmistakable, and we both knew what the flashing red and blue lights meant.

I didn't bother trying to find my panties, and thrust my legs into my jeans and pulled them up. I buttoned them, and then gave a little strangled cry as a pubic hair got caught in the zipper as I yanked it up. I grabbed my hoodie off the seat and pulled it over my head, and pulled the zipper up to my chin. Then I stuffed my shirts, bra and whatever else I could see under the seat. Mike had his pants pulled up and closed, but he was struggling with his shirt.

The glow of the headlights had stopped moving, and we heard a car door open and close. I helped Mike fix his shirt and pull it down, and we looked almost presentable. At least we were dressed… There was a sharp rapping sound on the driver window, like something hard was tapped against the glass.

Mike groaned and rolled down the backseat window, and we were momentarily blinded as a bright light shined into the back of the SUV.

"I'm going to need to see some ID's. You're aware this is private property, and this shopping center has been closed for nearly forty-five minutes?"

Oh. My. God. Could this get any worse? It was Charlie.

My dad was standing next to the open window, and he'd just caught me parked with Mike, obviously making out in the backseat of a car. I just told him this morning at breakfast that Mike wasn't my boyfriend…

Mike got his drivers license out of his wallet, and I picked up my purse and got my Arizona drivers license out, and we handed them over. Charlie shined the flashlight on them, and his face looked flushed in the light as he looked at our ID's.

"Ok, young man, please step out of the vehicle." Mike looked scared, but he didn't hesitate, and opened the door and got out.

Charlie led him to the passenger door of the cruiser, and opened it.

"Have a seat. I want to have a word with you in a minute." Mike got in and Charlie slammed the door.

Then he came walking back over to the SUV and stood at the open window. He handed me back my ID.

"You'll need to go to the courthouse in Port Angeles to apply for a Washington state driver's license, Miss Swan. Are you alright? Are you under any duress or do you feel threatened? Have you been drinking or are there any drugs in the vehicle?"

So this was how he wanted to play it… Alright by me.

"No, officer, I'm fine. We haven't been drinking, but I don't know about any drugs. This isn't my vehicle, and I'm not authorized to allow a search. You'll have to ask Mike. Is this going to take long? I'm going to be late for my curfew if we don't leave soon. Would it be alright if I call my parents to let them know I'll be late?"

"I'm sure they'll understand considering the circumstances, Miss Swan." He started to turn away, but his eyes glanced down at the floorboard for a second.

He looked back at me and his eyes bored into mine intensely for a second. "We'll discuss this when you get home, Bella," and then he turned and walked back to the cruiser and got into the driver door.

I looked down to see what he'd looked at. Shit! My panties were lying on the floor of the SUV. At least it wasn't a condom wrapper. They must have been under the blanket, and were uncovered when Mike shifted the blanket when he got out.

I looked back at the cruiser, and Mike was staring straight ahead. He was bright red, and he nodded occasionally. I didn't hear Charlie yell or curse, but from the look on Mike's face, maybe it would have been better if he had. I saw Mike give a couple of short responses. Then the color drained out of his face and he blanched white. He looked scared, and then they were getting out of the car.

Mike didn't get into the back seat with me, but slid into the driver seat, and then Charlie was standing next to the back window again.

"This is private property, but Mr. Newton's parents own this land, and he has permission to be here although I doubt his parents would approve of this use of their property. I could probably haul you both in for any of a half dozen violations, but I'm not gonna do that. You're gettin' off with a warning this time, but don't let me catch you like this again, Understand?" We nodded and he glanced at his watch. "You better hurry up and get Miss Swan home. She has about five minutes until she breaks curfew. I'm sure her father has a lot to discuss with her."

"Yes, Sir." Mike said.

He turned the key in the ignition and the motor roared to life. He turned on the defrosters to try and un-fog the windshield I reached over and rolled up the window as Charlie walked back to the cruiser and got in.

"What did Charlie say Mike?" I asked.

"He said I was goddamned lucky we both had our clothes on when I opened the window, or I'd be on my way to the county lockup right now."

"Oh…"

"He wanted to know if I was your boyfriend, and I told him you didn't want a boyfriend…"

"Ok, that might be a little difficult to explain…"

"He told me if he catches me screwing around with you again, he's gonna cut my balls off with a rusty butter knife, and nobody will ever find the body…"

"Jesus… Charlie said that!"

"Umm… Yeah, he did. I think he was serious, Bella. He was fucking pissed, but he acted so calm… It was scary."

"Ok… I'm sorry, Mike. We should have just gone to the drive-in…"

"Hey, I'm not sorry… You were fucking incredible, Bella. If you're not scared, next time we'll just have to be more careful, ok?"

"You're not scared of Charlie?"

"Shit yes! He nearly scared the piss out of me, but I'm not gonna let that keep me from spending time with you, as long as you want me around."

"Thanks Mike. I promise… we'll be more careful next time."

I was gathering up the rest of my clothes as we talked, and I made sure I had everything this time. I pulled off the hoodie and pulled my shirts back on. Then I pulled the hoodie back on. I stuffed my underwear into my school bag, and made sure it was zipped shut. I pulled my boots back on, but I just tied them loosely mainly to keep the laces out of the way so I wouldn't trip on them when I walked into the house.

I took a quick inventory to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Cell phone? Check. Purse and nothing fell out? Check. Shoes? Check. My underwear safely stashed away out of sight? Check. All of the clothes I was wearing properly fastened and closed? Check. I was good to go as we pulled up in front of Charlie's house.

We'd had to wait for the windows to defrost, and Mike had driven slowly to give me time to prepare. Charlie had beaten us home, and the cruiser was parked in the driveway. He pulled up to the curb, parked and shut off the engine. Mike got out and then opened the back door for me. He helped me down out of the SUV, and then carried my bag for me up to the porch. The front door was open, and Charlie was standing in the doorway glaring at us.

I ignored him, and turned to face Mike. I took my bag from his hands and set it down on the porch. I stepped closer to Mike, and wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him with Charlie standing there watching.

"Good night, Mike. I had fun tonight. I'll see you in school, tomorrow."

"G'night, Bella," Mike stammered. I could see his eyes kept shifting to look at Charlie standing in the doorway. "See you in school…" and then Mike made a hasty retreat.

I sighed and picked up my bag and turned to the door. Charlie was still standing there with his arms crossed on his chest glaring at me.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

He stepped out of the way as I walked past him into the house, and he closed the door behind me. I turned towards the stairs and made it about two steps.

"Not so fast young lady. We need to have a talk. Come back here."

I turned to look back at Charlie and he was standing next to the entry into the living room. He gestured towards the couch indicating that I should sit down. I sighed and turned and walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Charlie paced for a minute, and then sat down on the edge of his recliner. I really didn't want to have this conversation with my dad, but I was prepared for it if he was going to push the issue.

"Bella, I thought we had an understanding about you following the rules while you lived here with me in Forks? Just what the hell did you think you were doing tonight?"

"Hold it right there, Charlie. We were perfectly clear about the rules I was gonna follow, and I haven't broken any of the rules we discussed! I'll admit I'm a couple minutes late for my curfew, but that's your fault and you knew where to find me. I haven't been sneaking out of the house at night since I moved here. I went to school. I didn't ditch any of my classes. I wasn't drinking tonight, and when I did, I kept it under control like we talked about. I haven't used any illegal drugs since I've lived here, and there's been opportunity to, but I said no. I had Mike come over and talk to you before I went out with him, so what rules have I broken?"

"And just what the hell do you call parking with a boy making out in the back seat of a jeep?"

"I call it none of your goddamned business! We talked about this Charlie. You said 'I won't tell you that you can't date, or have a boyfriend', and we talked about you learning to trust my judgment. I told you I was gonna go out on more dates while I'm living here, and it would be best if you learned to trust me to make these decisions."

"Mike says he isn't your boyfriend…"

"I told you this morning at breakfast that he wasn't my boyfriend. Mike and I are just friends."

"I don't understand that, Bella. You seem awful close to Mike, and you treat him like your boyfriend. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but are you planning on having more friends like Mike?"

"I don't know, Charlie. I'm making this up as I go. I don't want a boyfriend at this stage in my life. I'm not gonna get tied down here, and having a boyfriend would just make things more complicated when I leave. Besides, nobody else that I want to go out with has asked me out, and I certainly wouldn't be as friendly with somebody I just started dating."

"Jesus, Bella! What the hell do you think this looks like to me? You haven't even been here a week yet, and you're practically screwing the first guy you started dating!"

"It didn't get that far Charlie, but I wish to hell you would have waited another five minutes to decide to drive around that corner!"

"I knew I should have hauled that little prick off to jail and sent him to county…"

"What, and were you gonna haul me in too?"

"No, that's why I didn't arrest him. I was pissed off, but I wasn't gonna drag you through the mud just to get him. He's got some nerve trying to screw my daughter in my town parked in the back of his parents shop out in front of god and everyone…"

"There's three hundred miles of deserted logging roads five minutes outside the city limits, and he was practically begging to get caught. You might not care about it, but I have a reputation to uphold in this town. You're my daughter, and I don't want us to be embarrassed because you get caught making out with a boy. The shopping center is on our patrol route, what if one of the other cops in town was patrolling tonight?"

"I'm sorry I don't want to embarrass you. We'll be more careful next time, but we were pressed for time. Mike is nice to me, dad. He respects my boundaries and understands that no means no. He knows how far I'm willing to go, and what's out of bounds. And he isn't that little, Charlie."

"Jesus, Bella, I don't want to hear the details!"

"No, you started this, and I had to listen to all the details. You're the one that said you were ready to listen if I wanted to talk. You said Renee called you and told you everything about me before I moved here. Well she spent seventeen years telling me everything about you too."

"Everything?"

"How long did you know Renee for, before the first time you had sex with her, dad?"

"Bella… I'm your father! I'm not going to talk to you about that…"

"Ten days, Charlie. How old was she?"

"She was almost eighteen…"

"She was three months older than I am right now."

"It was different… We were in love…"

"I don't want to hurt you, dad. You've been good to me, and I care about you, but you were in love. It took Renee a lot longer to fall in love with you. She did eventually, she admitted that to me, but she wasn't in the beginning. She was seventeen and she was experimenting with new things. You just happened to be the guy she said yes to, but she was just having fun. Don't sit there and tell me you didn't get to third base with Renee before you knew her for a week, because I know better. I'm not gonna stand for 'do what I say, not what I did'. If you have a specific concern about somebody I date, then go ahead and tell me and I'll think about it. Otherwise it's just the pot calling the kettle black."

"I'm your father, and I'm supposed to watch out for you and stop you from making mistakes…"

"Well, now you know how Renee's dad felt when you were bringing her home at night. You two were together for two years before you made your mistake and knocked her up. I'm planning on avoiding that particular mistake, but I have the final say on who I go out with, and you still don't get a veto. I haven't had sex with Mike, and I'm not planning to anytime in the near future, but that doesn't mean I won't experiment and try other things. We'll be more careful, and I'll try not to embarrass you by getting caught again."

"I don't like this, Bella. It doesn't seem right to me… I feel like I should be doing more…"

"I'm not doing anything that you and mom weren't already doing when you were both the same age as me. Would you prefer that I lie to you, and sneak around behind your back? Renee always preferred to have everything out in the open so we could talk about it and there weren't any secrets. At least she did until she met Phil, then everything changed. I can lie to you if it makes you feel better…"

"No, I don't want you to have to lie and hide things. This is hard for me, but I don't want you to have to sneak around. You tell me if he does anything out of line or disrespects you, and I'll put more than the fear of god into him! He'll wish he was never born if he does anything to hurt you. You're being careful?"

"Thanks dad, I'll be careful when the time comes, but I'm not ready for that yet. I can handle Mike, but thanks for caring. Now was there anything else, or can I go upstairs now?"

"When do you work next? Did you get your schedule?"

"Tomorrow night again, and then Saturday morning from open until six."

"I'm picking you up after work tomorrow night. I don't want to hear any argument, and we'll let it go at that, ok?"

"Fine, Charlie, are we through?"

"Yeah, I suppose so…"

"Ok," I stood up. "Good night, dad. I'm gonna go upstairs now. I'll see you in the morning."

I went to the stairs and went up to my room. It had been a long eventful day. School hadn't been too terrible, and my afternoon with Sara had been enlightening. I needed to find more time to spend with Alice and Sara. Mike was fun, and I hoped Charlie hadn't scared him off. Life in Forks was turning out to be more interesting than I had expected.

**Authors Note:**

Before everyone starts asking, "Is Alice a Hybrid?" I'll just get that out of the way now. No, she isn't, at least not in this Alternate Universe. Vampire children born from a union between a male vampire and female human are simply an alternate method for producing a vampire or more particularly, an incubus or succubus in this Alternate Universe.

The specific mechanics follow the typical hybrid model as used in many stories. More particularly, accelerated pregnancy, blood cravings by the mother during pregnancy, abnormal childbirth by the child tearing its way out with its teeth, and accelerated development resulting in physical development to a physical appearance analogous to a human of age of seventeen to eighteen years by a chronological age of seven years. Final development to vampire occurs spontaneously around chronological age twenty-five when the remaining organs complete development and the apparent heart beat stops.

So, yes, Alice is a vampire, or more accurately, a succubus. She can do everything that any of the other vampires in this alternate universe can do, but then I haven't gotten into the specifics of what exactly vampires are capable of yet in this alternate universe either.

Yes, all of the Cullen's can eat food if they wanted too. Yes, all vampires have urges to want to have relations with humans despite the fact that they have mates. Yes, mated vampires date and have sex with humans because its part of what they are, and they're driven to crave those kinds of relationships. In case you hadn't realized it yet, bloodlust has been replaced by a different sort of lust as the primary driving force for the vampires in this alternate universe.


	10. Chapter 10 Too Much Information

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Sorry I took so long to post this. I was going to put it up yesterday, but I got sidetracked.

Any how, I'm sitting here going crazy trying to patch WoW so I can finally try to log back in again, and I thought I'd go ahead and post this. I thought about splitting it in half, but then it would have taken even longer. Enjoy.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 10 Too Much Information

The annoying buzzing noise was droning loudly through the room again. I didn't hit the snooze bar this time, and I was more wide awake this morning. I looked at the clock on the night stand as I reached over to shut off the alarm. It was six thirty a.m. on Thursday, the beginning of day two at Forks high school. I was surprised that I had actually slept last night, and I was out practically as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I got out of bed and started my morning routine. I grabbed my toiletries bag and went to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. I took my pill, but today I dropped the plastic container into my purse. I needed to stop by the pharmacy tonight to refill my prescription and it was printed on the sticker on the bottom of the container. I had plenty of time, but better safe than sorry.

I made up the bed and got dressed. I put on my makeup and grabbed my cell phone and dropped it in my purse. I really didn't want to wear the waterproof boots today, but it was raining outside so I put them on anyhow. I was going to have to ask Sara if there was a spell to keep my feet dry if I wanted to wear some different shoes. I'm sure it was easy for normal people to simply avoid stepping in puddles, but my feet had a tendency to find every obstacle, real or imaginary, and puddles seemed be attracted to me. My socks would be soaking wet before lunch if I didn't wear the ugly waterproof boots.

I grabbed my school bag, minus my underwear from last night. I'd removed them and stuffed into the hamper before I went to bed. I reluctantly got my sneakers out of the closet to pack in my bag so I'd have them for gym class today. I considered conveniently forgetting them, but I put them in my bag, and went down to the kitchen. Charlie wasn't around, and I assumed he must be in the basement. It was still early, and he didn't usually leave for the Police Station until it was almost time for me to go to school. I set my purse and school bag on a chair by the table, and went to get myself a cup of coffee.

I was reaching for my pop tart in the toaster when the basement door opened, Charlie stepped into the kitchen. He locked the deadbolt, and I heard the heavy slug of metal slide home into the steel framework around the door with a solid metallic thunk. He slipped the key into his pocket and went to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Bells. So, ready for day two?" Charlie asked.

He was acting normal this morning like we hadn't had that awkward discussion last night. Well, I wasn't going to be the one to bring it up again if he was ready to let it go.

"Ready as I'll ever be I suppose. Most of my classes are easy and the kids are alright for the most part. I'm making some friends."

"That's good to hear. So who have you met?"

"Well, you know about Angela, Haley, Michaela, and Mike." Charlie flinched a little at the last name. "I met Angela's friend Sara yesterday. I hung out with her after school yesterday, and Alice came and had dinner with me at work last night."

"Sara?" Charlie asked.

"Sara Martin, she was visiting relatives, and she just got back home on Tuesday night. She's really cool, and I think we're going to be great friends."

"Ok… Isn't she that girl with all the weird makeup and wears black clothes all the time? She seems a little strange. I guess she ok… You're not going to get into all that weird stuff too, are you?"

"No, I don't think so. Sara has her own style, and I have mine. If I dress like that it'll just be for Halloween."

"Ok." Charlie seemed relieved. "So who is Alice? I don't remember another girl named Alice in your class…"

"I met her Saturday morning at the Coffee Shop, dad. You know, Alice Cullen. You talked to her before we went back to the car."

Charlie seemed shocked and his eyes got big. "You're friends with Alice Cullen?"

"Umm… Yeah. Alice is cool and I really like her. Alice and Jasper sat with Mike and me at dinner on Sunday. She's in three of my classes at school. I haven't had much time to hang out with her, but she came and visited me at work last night."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Bella. I told you to watch out for those Cullen's. They keep to themselves most of the time, but it's asking for trouble to spend a lot of time around them. You're better off sticking with Angela and her friends or even Sara instead of getting mixed up with the Cullen's."

What was that all about? Charlie was usually a pretty easy going guy, and I wondered what had happened to turn him off to the Cullen kids when he thought so highly of Dr. Cullen.

"I'm not getting mixed up with all of the Cullen's, but Alice is my friend. It's bad enough that I have to sit next to Edward in Biology class…"

"Edward Cullen! They put you in the seat next to him at school!"

"It was the last vacant seat in the class. All of the other seats were taken…"

"I'll call Principal Rupprecht and talk to him…"

"No, dad, I can handle Edward on my own. I don't need you to protect me. You've done enough string pulling as it is. Thanks for getting them to give me a shot at high school here, Charlie, but the rest is up to me."

"Bella, you don't know about Edward and the things he's capable of…"

"I've heard all the stories dad, and I have no intention of giving him a chance to add my name to his list of conquests. I'm a big girl now, and I can stand up for myself, Charlie. Edward doesn't scare me."

"Edward isn't like Mike. He's dangerous, and I don't want you messing around with him. I'm trusting you when you say you can stand up to him, but if anything happens we're gonna have to revisit our discussion about rules while you live here. I'm not backin' down on this one. I'll let it go with Alice if you want her as a friend, but I'm putting my foot down about Edward Cullen! Not with my daughter! Not while I live and breath! Are we clear?"

"Sure, Charlie…"

"Fine! I'm heading to work now. Remember, I'm picking you up tonight!" and Charlie stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind himself.

What the hell was that all about? I knew Edward had a reputation as a player in town, but was Charlie really so worried about his daughter embarrassing him in front of the town, that he'd throw that kind of fit about some guy I said I didn't even want to date? I guess it was sweet that he was worried about my reputation. I could only imagine how pissed off he'd get if he really knew about Edward and what was really going on.

I finished my breakfast and then washed out our cups and put them in the drying rack. I shut off the coffee pot and then went out to the porch to wait for Angela. I had a cigarette while I waited and then Angela's Honda Civic sedan pulled up to the curb at the end of the driveway.

I crushed out my cigarette butt and walked down to the car, and got into the passenger seat. We drove to Haley's and picked her up, and then drove to Sara's and she was waiting for us when we got there. Haley and Angela were both in skirts that hung just below the knee, sweaters, and tights. They both had that Ivy League grad school look going on again today.

Sara was still wearing her Goth makeup, but she was had ditched the neo-Victorian gown today, and was doing the naughty school girl look, sufficiently toned down so she wouldn't get sent home to change. The soles of her platform soled boots looked tall enough to keep her feet out of most of the puddles. Too bad that wouldn't work for me. I'd trip and break my neck in heels that had a long black trench coat with a hood over the ensemble today to fend off the ever present rain instead of an umbrella.

I felt underdressed in my jeans, t-shirts, hoodie and coat.

"Hi, Bella, did you get your schedule?" Sara said as she got into the car. She reached out and laid her hand on my shoulder. I felt her gasp, and I figured, in for a penny, in for a pound, and reached up and squeezed her hand. She tensed up for a second, and then sat quietly in the back seat for a minute while she took in all of what I'd showed her. I wasn't sure how powerful her psychometry was, but she seemed to know an awful lot about me yesterday.

"Wow, so are you going to tell them what happened last night?" Sara asked with a giggle, and I must have blushed bright red.

Haley and Angela both looked really curious, and I supposed it was best to avoid as many secrets as I could. Besides, they knew Sara had seen something. I just couldn't sit there and say nothing.

"You tell them," I said. It was too embarrassing for me to repeat, and I was curious how much detail Sara would have from touching my hand. She'd known pretty much everything that had happened to me Sunday night.

"Bella and Mike were fooling around last night after work. Mike was going down on her, and her dad busted them in the back seat of Mike's dad's SUV."

"Holy shit, what did he do!" Haley asked. "Is Mike still alive?"

"How did he find you guys?" Angela asked. "Where did you park?"

"Hey, it wasn't that bad, he didn't actually catch us in the act! I saw his headlights, and we had time to get dressed before he knocked on the window. Umm… We were parked behind the sporting goods store…"

"In town!" Angela exclaimed. "Jeez, no wonder you got caught! Mike knows better that that! Once you cross the river on the north side of town, you could pull over on the side of the road, and your dad can't say shit! Next time, tell him to find a better spot!"

"Yeah, we said we'd be more careful next time…"

"So, what did your dad do?" Haley asked "Are you grounded? Can you still see Mike?"

"No, I'm not grounded. My dad's picking me up after work tonight, and I've got a feeling he might keep doing that until I buy a car. Charlie doesn't decide who I date, and I made it clear to him that he doesn't get a veto on whoever I decide to spend time with."

"Wow, that's it? My dad would have gone totally ballistic and would have been all over Mike's parents to get on his case about it. Hell, I'd be grounded for the rest of the school year!"

"Yeah, well I've always had a really open relationship with my mom… She treated me more like a younger sister or best friend than a typical mother daughter relationship, and she told me everything. I mean everything in explicit detail about every guy she was ever with, including my dad. I know things about their personal lives that don't let them pull that kind of crap with me."

"You blackmailed your own dad! Isn't that kind of harsh, Bella? I understand the circumstances, but my parents would kill me if I pulled a stunt like that!"

"I didn't blackmail him. It's not stuff that would get him in trouble or be particularly embarrassing if it got out. I'm just not into the whole double standard thing, and I'm not going to let him make rules for me when he was doing the exact same thing with my mom when they were the same age as me. I just gave him a choice. I could either sneak around lying to him or he could accept that I'm growing up, and I'm just doing the same things he was doing when he was my age. Either way I'd still be doing the same things."

"Oh… You know, I never thought of it like that. My parents have always just been 'my parents'… It's hard to imagine them doing all the same things I'm doing when they were my age like they were real people. I think my dad would rather have me lie, so he can keep pretending that I'm still twelve years old. It must be a guy thing to not want to admit that their daughters grow up to be women."

Angela was pulling into the parking lot now, and found a parking place.

"Hey, umm… what we talked about stays in the car, right? I don't mind if you talk to Michaela, but this doesn't go any further than us girls, ok?"

"Of course, Bella," Angela said. "I told you we don't spread rumors or gossip. We keep each others secrets. If you say it stays in the car, then that's what we'll do."

"Everyone has secrets, Bella." Sara said. "We know how to be discrete and when to keep our mouths shut when we need too. There's enough drama in high school without us shooting our mouths off and spreading stories. We leave that up to girls like Jessica. She's perfectly capable of making up enough stories to tell without us adding fuel to the fire."

The morning went by quickly. Nothing really interesting happened. The work was easy for me for the most part, and if the teachers gave us class time to work on assignments I usually finished them so I wouldn't have to work on them at home. It was like I had told Charlie; I was practically parroting the answers back from memory. I didn't know if I was a truly gifted student, but I seemed to absorb knowledge like a sponge, and then it was just there to use when I needed it.

I sat with the girls in English again, and I could tell Mike was dying to talk to me to find out what had happened after he left last night. I sat with him in Government, but Alice sat next to me too again, and Mike didn't feel comfortable discussing last night in front of her. I had questions for Alice too, but they could wait until we were alone. I just told her thank you, and then paid attention to the lecture.

Jessica sat with Sara, Alice and I again in trig and shared the local gossip. She was still playing nice, and I didn't mind as long as she wasn't gossiping about me, but then I doubted she'd tell stories about me to my face or where she thought I would hear her. She followed me to Spanish and we sat with Angela, and then it was time for lunch.

I had to admit, I was disappointed when we got to the cafeteria and Edward was gone. I had to admit I was looking forward to confronting him in Biology today about what had happened yesterday. Talking to Sara yesterday afternoon had cast the episode in a different light, and I knew he had no power over me. I wasn't ready to go out with him, but I was curious if he was really interested in me, or if it was just the attraction to what I represented. If somebody like Edward Cullen could be interested in the person who Bella Swan was, then I might possibly be interested in dating him despite what I had told Charlie. If all Edward wanted was my blood and the power boost he'd get from a taste, then he could go straight to hell.

Of course there'd be Charlie to deal with too. I doubted I'd ever want to go out with Edward, but I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. If he was pissed off at what Mike had done with me, I could only imagine how he'd react if I brought Edward home to meet him. It might be worth going out with Edward just to see the look on Charlie's face. That would be priceless, but then I'd probably have come clean and show Charlie what I was capable of so he'd know I was safe. I wasn't ready for that yet.

I got in line and got a tray. I took my lunch and went to sit with the girls at the same table as yesterday. I didn't really pay much attention at lunch. I knew Mike was trying to get my attention. He wanted to talk about last night, but I wasn't going to discuss that at school with Jessica sitting at the table. We'd have all night to discuss that, and probably a couple of hours alone in the store to hash out all the details. Maybe he thought I was mad at him. He seemed to be laughing and getting along with Jessica all of a sudden.

I was staring at the Cullen's table wondering why Edward was gone when Sara got my attention and told me she wanted to go for a walk to have a cigarette. I sighed because Edward was probably gone because of me. I suppose I had been kind of harsh to him yesterday, but he'd pissed me off by pulling that stupid stunt trying to mind control me to get what he wanted. I nodded ok, and we got up to go dump our trays and walked out of the cafeteria. We were walking across the parking lot and nobody was around.

"So I guess you won't have time to come over tonight to study," Sara said as crossed the street. We got out cigarettes when we reached the sidewalk, and I lit mine with a gesture of my fingertip.

"Good, you're practicing, and you seem to have that down, but be careful not to get complacent. Don't slip up and do that where somebody besides us might see. Keep in mind how you'd explain that if somebody asked you." Sara gestured and lit her cigarette too.

"Umm… How would I explain it?"

"Like this…" Sara gestured with her fingers and opened her hand with a flourish, and she was holding a miniature cigarette lighter.

"Where did you get that from? It wasn't in your hand a second ago…"

"Yes, but you think it is, don't you." She closed her hand and opened it again, and the lighter was gone.

"I showed you how to create an illusion for a reason, not just because it's cool to make your eyes blue without colored contacts. If you do something and you need to explain how it was possible, you might need some props on the spur of the minute. The lighter was an illusion, but it explains how you could light a cigarette. People only need to see it for a second, and then their minds will fill in the blanks."

"Ok… I think I get it. Avoid paradox at all costs, right?"

"Yep, that's part of it. It's best to avoid standing out from the crowd as much as you can, too. Paradox isn't our only concern, Bella. We have enemies too. Angela explained how the world has been changing rapidly for the last couple of centuries. Science is becoming more powerful. Technology is spreading, and changing the face of the world. This isn't an accident. There are forces at work that have an ultimate goal in mind and are working towards these ends, forces that see other people that can use magick like you and me as the enemy."

"Enemies? Who are they, and what would they do if they found us?"

"The generic term for the modern architects of our reality is the Technocracy. It's made up of various traditions of mages that have chosen science and technology as the path to ascension. They believe that by bringing order and control to the universe they will achieve enlightenment and ascension to a higher plane of existence. What would they do if they found us? We are the opposite of order. We are the proof that science does not reign supreme, and there are other paths to ascension. It's their policy to exterminate us on sight. Typically they shoot first and ask questions later."

"How many enemies do we have? I wanted to learn how to fight, so I could defend myself against the vampires. Now you're telling me I need to watch out for this techno mumbo jumbo thing too?"

"Actually, most of the vampires are actually our allies. Technology is simply a different sort of magick, but it has gained such a foothold and control over reality that it no longer generates paradox. It has become the form of magick that the sleepers have been trained to accept. We're kind of out of the way out here in Forks, and as long as we don't do anything to attract attention to ourselves, we should be ok. By the time you're ready to leave and move on, you should be sufficiently trained to be able to fly under their radar and avoid notice or defend yourself if you have too."

"Jeez, Sara, it's like we're getting hit from all sides. We need to hide from the sleepers, guard against the Incubi, and now I need to learn to fly under the radar to avoid the science and technology crowd too? Does this ever get any easier?"

"No, not really, but I'm just letting you in on the bad news in small bits and pieces as I feel that you're able to deal with it. I needed to warn you about the Technocracy now, before you slipped and brought them down on our heads. It'll get worse before it gets better. There's more bad news and more you'll need to guard against, but you don't need to concern yourself with that until your training progresses and you need to know."

"Oh great, thanks for the heads up…"

"It's like you told your dad, Bella. I could lie to you, and paint a rosy picture of unicorns and flowers and hope you're ready for reality when it slams you in the face, or I can tell you the truth and try and train you to be prepared to defend yourself when push comes to shove. I think you're the type that would rather be prepared to face challenges head on."

"Yeah, I suppose I see your point. You're gonna make my head spin the way my point of view keeps changing… So vampires are the good guys now?"

"Sometimes… You know what they say; 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'. We're both hunted by the same people sometimes, so we often end up on the same side of the fight."

"I suppose I'll need more details about this Technocracy, so I know what to watch out for…"

Sara took out her watch and checked the time, then snapped it shut and slipped it back into her pocket.

"Come on, we're going to be late if we don't hurry. Why don't you plan on coming over Friday after school, and we can do some more training and I'll share what I know about the technomancers."

"Friday sounds good, but I'll need to be home in time to fix dinner for Charlie, and then I'm going to the basketball game Friday night. Are you coming too?"

"To the basketball game? I don't usually go, but maybe I'll give it a try if it's something you're interested in."

"Sounds good Sara. Maybe we can both teach each other new things."

She sighed and we walked into the classroom. Sara went to sit next to Angela, and I sat alone at the table I'd shared with Edward yesterday. Class dragged by with the continuation of the lecture on cellular anatomy. I probably could have given the lecture at least as well Mr. Banner, and probably made it more interesting.

Mr. Banner gave us an assignment from the book to work on. They were review questions from the end of the chapter we were studying. I quickly wrote out the answers to the questions, and then started getting caught up on my homework from my other classes.

"Ms. Swan, this isn't an open study hall period. Why aren't you working on your Biology assignment?" Mr. Banner asked as he walked up behind me and looked over my shoulder to check on my progress.

I had my trig open now, and was working through the steps of a problem. I had already completed the rest of my assignments.

"I'm finished with the assignment, and I was just using my free time to get some of my other work completed."

"May I take a look at your assignment then if you are finished, Ms. Swan?"

I took out my Biology notebook and opened to the assignment that he had given us today. I laid the notebook on the table next to me and went back to working on my Trig. Mr. Banner read through the answers.

"Hrmmph…Fine then, Excellent work Ms. Swan. You may continue to work quietly until the end of the period."

"Umm… Mr. Banner, the syllabus for the class didn't include a listing of the assignments or the required class work. Would it be possible to get a copy of your lesson plan or a list of the assignments so I can work ahead and get some more of the homework completed in advance?"

"I'll see what I can do Ms. Swan." Mr. Banner said, and then hurried away. I had a feeling that he didn't have a lesson plan or a listing of the assignments for the class. Apparently he was just flying by the seat of his pants and winging it. Well, that would make it harder to get ahead, but at least the assignments were easy.

Biology ended and then Mike was there taking my bag to carry it for me. I blushed when he captured my hand to walk me to gym. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Jessica was glaring at me again. I guess she thought she'd made some headway with Mike ay lunch, and now he was back walking with me.

Gym class was a nightmare. I should have left my sneakers at home so I could have sat out again. It would have been worth the note home to avoid having to play volleyball.

Haley and Michaela were naïve enough to ask for me to play on their team, despite my warnings that it wasn't a good idea. Mike and Alice were both on different teams. My face seemed to be a magnet for the ball, and when it did manage to make contact with something besides my chin or the top of my head, I only seemed to deflect the ball into my teammates. I was quite adept at knocking the ball into the backs of their heads or knocking the ball out of bounds, but it never went back over the net. After the first game, I just kind of tried to stay out of the way while the rest of the team covered for me. It was like they were playing with one less team member, except I still had to rotate thru to serve, and the other team got a point every time it was my turn.

Finally the torture ended and balls quit flying out of the air at me. I ran for the locker room to change and get the hell away from school. God I didn't know if I could put up with this for an entire nine months. Gym class alone would be enough to drive me away from Forks! It was worth taking the GED just to get out of gym class five days a week until I graduated.

I was upset and practically in tears when I fled from the locker room looking for a way to get away from school. Mike was waiting for me when I stepped through the door. He pulled me into his arms, and I buried my face in his chest.

"Bella, are you alright…" Mike started.

"Please, I don't want to discuss it. Can we just leave now? I really want to just get out of here."

"Sure, c'mon, my car is right out here… Do you need anything from your locker?"

I had my school bag and my purse, and my Trig book was still in it. Everything else was done already, and I didn't want to walk back through the school, regardless.

"No, I have everything I need, let's just go." I let Mike lead me out to his car so we could leave.

I'd talked to Angela earlier in the day, and she knew I was going to get a ride from Mike this afternoon. We both had to work tonight after school, and he would have come over to pick me up anyhow. I hadn't showered after P.E., but just got dressed to hurry and leave. I needed to run home and change my clothes before I went to work.

It was a quick trip to Charlie's house, and we were pulling into the driveway after a couple of minutes. I had enough time to take a quick shower and change, and we should make it to work with time to spare. We got out of the car and went into the house.

"Make yourself comfortable, Mike, and I'll be right back. I need to run get cleaned up and change, and then we can leave for work." He nodded and went to wait in the living room.

I took my quick shower, got dressed, and fixed my makeup. We still had plenty of time to get to work, and I got my purse off of my desk. That was weird… I remembered hanging it up when I came upstairs. Huh… Maybe it was paradox starting to play little tricks on my mind… It was almost like somebody had been in my room while I was in the shower…

I shrugged it off and went downstairs. Mike was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Ok, I'm ready to go…"

"Can I see you tonight after work?"

"I can't tonight… Charlie is gonna pick me up at nine. I'm not grounded or anything, but I guess he's afraid of finding a repeat of what happened last night."

"Ok, Well at least he didn't ground you… So you'll go out with me again?"

"Sure…"

"Everyone always just hangs out after the games so Friday is out, but how about Saturday night after work then? Can I take you to dinner?"

"Yeah, Saturday sounds like fun. C'mon, let's get to work now."

The first half of work flew by. Karen and Wally were there again when we got to work and clocked in. Mike was professional and didn't act weird at work. We were just friends and co-workers. I did some light cleaning and organizing, and rang up some sales. Wally left at five o'clock, and then Karen left at six, and Mike and I were on our own again.

I told Mike I was going to dinner at six thirty, and went in the back to grab my purse. I walked down to the Thriftway and made my way to the pharmacy counter. There was an older man that was probably my dad's age in a white coat working in the pharmacy. I took out the plastic container with my birth control pills so he could get the prescription off of the bottom of the package.

"Can I help you Miss?" the pharmacist asked when I stepped up to the counter.

"Yes, please. I need to refill my prescription." I handed him the plastic package. He looked over the container, and read the prescription.

"This will be just a minute," and he stepped back behind the counter.

I heard him typing on the computer for a minute, and then he stepped into the back. He was back at the counter after a couple of minutes with a white paper sack and the plastic container with my pills.

"Excuse me, Ms. Swan, but we don't seem to have you on file in our computer system. Can I see your insurance card, and do you have some ID?"

"Sure, just a minute…" I opened my purse and took out my wallet. I got out my insurance card and my drivers license and handed them over.

"Thank you, this'll just be a minute."

The pharmacist stepped back over to the computer again and typed some more. I knew there wasn't any problem with my insurance. It was Charlie's insurance, and I'd been on his insurance plan for as long as I could remember. I'd used it a lot over the years. After a couple of minutes, the pharmacist was back at the counter and he returned my insurance card and driver's license.

"Excuse me, Ms. Swan, but according to your ID you're only seventeen. I checked our records, but we don't have a parental consent form on record for you. You have to be eighteen or have your parent's authorization on file before I can give you this prescription."

"I just moved here. My mother got me the prescription when I was living in Arizona. I live with my father now."

"That's ok, dear." The pharmacist reached under the counter and took a sheet of paper out of the printer and laid it on the counter. "Just have your father fill out this form and sign it, and then you can pick up your prescription when you bring it back."

Shit! This was just perfect! Now I was going to have to talk to Charlie before I could refill my prescription!

I'd told him I'd be careful when the time came, but I hadn't gone into specifics. Birth control pills were a double edged sword. On the one hand they were the safest way to not get into trouble and end up pregnant, but on the other hand everyone assumed you needed them if you were taking them. Being on the pill screamed 'sexually active', and most people wouldn't believe you were still a virgin if you were going to the trouble of being on the pill.

The pharmacist was looking at me expectantly, and then spoke up, "Is there anything else I can help you with tonight, Ms. Swan?" He hadn't made any move to return the plastic container that I had given him with my remaining pills and prescription.

"Can I have my pills back, please? I'll see about getting this form signed for the refill."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Swan, but this is a controlled substance, and without a parental authorization on file I can't return this to you. I'll hold this with your refill, and as soon as you get that form signed we'll get this taken care of."

"How late are you open? I'm on my lunch break now, and I have to work until nine. If you don't give me that back, I won't have my pill to take in the morning!"

"We're open until nine. Perhaps you can call your father, and he can come pick up your prescription for you?"

"Thank you. I'll see what I can do."

I turned and walked away from the pharmacy. Now I was in worse shape than before. Not only didn't I have the refill I needed, but he had kept the rest of my prescription until I brought in a paper saying that Charlie knew what was going on. I took out my phone and checked the time. It was six forty-five and I had to be back to work in fifteen minutes. Well, no time like the present. I walked outside and dialed Charlie's number. It rang about a half dozen times, and then he picked up.

"_Chief Swan_."

"Hey, Charlie, it's Bella."

"_Oh, hi, Bells. Is everything alright? I thought you were at work?_"

"I'm on my break. I have to go back to work at seven. Dad, could you come down here for a minute? I need to talk to you about something."

"_I'll be there in two minutes. Are you ok? Did that Newton kid pull something? If he hurt you, I swear I'll shoot him!_"

"No, nothing like that… we just need to talk…"

Charlie must have had call forwarding to a mobile phone in his squad car. I'd dialed the house, but I could see his cruiser already pulling into the parking lot. He pulled into a spot in front of the curb, and I walked over and got into the passenger seat.

"Ok, Bella. So what did you need to talk to me about tonight?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah… I was really hoping to avoid having anymore of these awkward conversations, but I guess this is kind of important."

"Awkward conversations? You mean like last night and Sunday? Those seem to be the only kind of conversations we're having lately. I love having you live with me Bells, but it would have been nice if you would have waited until you were in college to start up with boys and all of this. So what is it this time?"

I handed him the paper, and he looked it over. "I went to the pharmacy to refill my prescription, and they said I had to have parental consent on file because I'm under eighteen. The pharmacist wouldn't even return the rest of the pills I brought in until you sign this paper."

"You're on the pill? I thought you said you weren't having sex yet? Why are you on the pill if you don't have a boyfriend?"

"I'm not having sex yet. It was Renee's idea. She wanted me to be safe. I've been on it since my sixteenth birthday. She didn't want me to end up like her, and I agreed. She said she didn't trust guys enough to remember to use a condom. I'm not going to make the same mistakes she did and end up pregnant at nineteen."

"Ok, if this is what you want, I'll sign it. I'm glad you're being safe even if I don't approve."

I looked at the clock on the dashboard, and I had to get back to work.

"There's one more thing, dad…"

"More? What else do you need?"

"I have to get back to work, and the pharmacy closes at nine. Could you pick up my prescription for me? I need it tonight, so I can take my pill in the morning…"

Charlie turned bright red, but he nodded ok.

"Thanks dad, I love you," I scooted over and kissed his cheek, and then opened the door to get out.

"See you at nine, Charlie." I got out of the car and hurried back to work.

The rest of the night was pretty easy going after the fiasco at the pharmacy. I kept an eye out and saw Charlie get out of the cruiser and walk into the Thriftway store. He seemed to be in there for an awful long time, but then he finally came back to the cruiser and got in and drove away.

We didn't have anymore customers that night, and we got all of our cleaning and organization chores done early. We counted out the drawers in the registers, and put the cash trays in the office and locked the door. I waited up front, and Mike went into the back and shut off most of the lights. I went outside when he came up to the front, and then he set the alarm and shut off the last light switch. He followed me outside, and locked the door.

Charlie was parked next to Mike's car, waiting for me in the cruiser.

"So are you going to the basketball game tomorrow night?" Mike asked as we walked over to the cars.

"Yeah, I'm hanging out with Sara after school, and then I think she's going to go to the game with me."

"Really? You talked Sara Martin into going to a basketball game? You are good. I could never get her to go even when we were dating. Of course that could have had something to do with Janet Stanley trying to talk her into being a cheerleader."

"Sara as a cheerleader? I can't envision that."

"You had to know her before she turned all dark and got into the Goth thing. She was really pretty. You know, the typical all American girl with blond hair and blue eyes."

"Sara is still really pretty… She just has a different style now."

"So, can we hang out after the game? All the kids will probably go to Sully's drive-in after the game. Sometimes we cruise, or drive out to the airport."

"Sure, as long as I'm in before my curfew. I have to be home by eleven thirty on Friday night."

"Not a problem. See you in school tomorrow, Bella." Mike got into his car and waved goodbye.

"Yeah, see you in school," and I got into the passenger seat of the cruiser. Mike pulled out of the parking lot and left, and now it was just me and Charlie.

"Hi, Bells, so how did work go? Mike keep his hands to himself tonight?"

"Dad! It's not like that. Work is work, and Mike knows better than to pull any kind of crap like that when we're on the clock."

"That's good. I'm keeping an eye on that kid. He's about used up his lifetime supply of slack and good luck in my book. He better not screw up or he's history."

"Charlie! Be nice! Mike is my friend."

Charlie reached over and handed me the white paper sack from the pharmacy counter at the Thriftway.

"A little too friendly if you ask me. Ready to head home, or are you hungry? It didn't look like you had time to eat dinner on your break. The Coffee Shop's still open."

Now that he mentioned it, I was kind of hungry. All I'd had today was the pop tart and coffee this morning, and then I'd just picked at lunch until I went to go have a cigarette with Sara. I'd been planning on grabbing a sandwich after I refilled my prescription, but that hadn't worked out.

"Ok, I am kind of hungry. I skipped dinner trying to get my prescription refilled."

Charlie just nodded, and we drove to the Coffee Shop. He pulled into his usual spot, and we got out and went inside. The place was almost deserted, with only a couple of people at the counter sipping coffee. It was kind of private after we were seated in a booth up by the front window with a view of the street outside. We ordered, and Charlie just got a cup of coffee and blueberry pie. I got a junior bacon cheese burger with a green salad and ice water.

"So, just so we're perfectly clear, you don't really need that prescription. It's just a precaution, right?"

"I told you, Charlie. I've never been that interested in any guy yet to 'need' the prescription. I have no intention of trying to prove whether or not it works, either, at least not in the immediate future."

"So if you don't need it, why go through all the hassle? You know there are other types of birth control that are just as effective, they just take a little planning and fore thought."

"Are you sure you want to discuss this? I thought you were a little uncomfortable talking about all of this?" I know I was.

"If I can walk into that Pharmacy and look Darryl Wilson in the eye and pick up my daughters birth control pill prescription, then I damn well better be able to discuss it with her."

"I'm sorry, dad. You know him?"

"I know everyone in town, Bella. I went to school with Darryl, and now everyone in town will probably know exactly what prescription I was picking up. So tell me why something less public isn't just as effective?"

"It's like you said, they take planning and fore thought. That's what Renee was afraid of. She knows what can happen in the heat of the moment. You know, when planning goes out the window and there's very little thinking involved. I've been there before a couple of times, but I stopped and said no. One of these days, I'm not gonna stop or say no. It'll happen eventually and I'd rather be safe than sorry. Renee just didn't trust guys enough to remember to use a condom every time. If I was on the pill, she didn't have to trust them as long as I didn't screw up like she did."

"That's what led to all of this? Renee worried that you'd end up like her?"

"It's not just Renee… I don't want to end up like her. If I ever decide to have kids, it's not gonna be some accident. I'm not gonna get pregnant in high school, and then have to struggle through college while my mom watches the baby… I know I'm the mistake that ruined her life. I'm not going to repeat that mistake."

"I'm so sorry, Bella… Renee told me you felt like that. She told me what you said when the two of you were fighting… You know, it didn't have to be like that for her. She chose that life. It's all my fault, Bella."

"What do you mean, 'she chose that life'? What choice did she have? Should she have had an abortion or giving me up to be raised by strangers?"

"She could have chosen me, Bella. I would have taken care of her. We could have been a family… You weren't an accident. I wanted you."

"Thanks dad, but I've heard the story from Renee. I know what happened. Mom was always kind of flighty and absentminded. She lost her birth control pills, and then she had to wait before she could restart them and lost those too. You guys tried to be careful, but you slipped up in the heat of the moment, and I happened. You owned up to your mistake and made an honest woman of her. The two of you ran off to Vegas and got married before I was born, and the rest is history."

"That's mostly true, Bella, but Renee didn't lose her pills. I took them and flushed them down the toilet. Then I hid her prescription before she could start taking them again. I told you, you weren't an accident. I wanted Renee to get pregnant. I knew my parents were getting sick long before we ever told her. I knew she'd leave me if I told her I had to stay in Forks. I thought if we had a baby and we got married she'd want to stay with me. I thought she'd want a family more than she wanted to leave."

"But you guys were using condoms too. she said you only slipped up a couple of times…"

"They were fakes, props so she wouldn't catch on to what I was doing. I poked holes in them with a needle before I opened the packages. I 'slipped up' on purpose a couple of times so she'd have a reason to doubt the effectiveness of what we were using for protection when she got pregnant. I let it be my fault when I knocked her up, but I did it on purpose so she wouldn't leave me. It didn't work. She left anyhow, and she took you with her."

"I can't believe you did that to her! My god, didn't you even consider what she wanted?"

"We both wanted kids. We talked about it, but it was always something that we were gonna do later after we left Forks. You weren't something she didn't want to happen in her life. I just made it happen sooner than she expected."

"We'd talked about getting married too, but she wouldn't say yes. She wouldn't commit until we were out of here, and I'd kept my promises. She had to say yes when she got pregnant. I knew she wouldn't end it or give you up. We'd talked about that, and I knew what she'd do when the rabbit died. I knew I wasn't going to be able to leave Forks like I promised her. I guess I jumped the gun, but I figured if we had you I could talk her out of leaving, and she'd stay with me. I was wrong. She was too independent and nothing would keep her in Forks. At least not me."

"I don't know what to say Charlie. You've never talked to Renee about this, have you?"

"No, there are times when I thought she suspected the truth, but she already hated me for the lies she knew about. Why give her another reason? I just wanted you to know the truth. You weren't an accident, Bella. I always wanted you, and I always loved you. You're here because I wanted you, not because your mom screwed up. I always wished we could be more of a family, but Renee didn't want that."

"Thanks for telling me the truth, dad, but this doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to end up like mom. It just shows me that I have more to watch out for than I thought before. I don't want a boyfriend while I'm here because I know it would be a mistake to put down roots or get too attached to anyone. I don't intend to leave any broken hearts behind me, and hopefully I won't have any souvenirs either to drag along with me for the next seventeen years when I leave. I'm sorry you were embarrassed that your friend had to give you my prescription, but it's the best way for me. I don't need it yet, but when I do, I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"I want you to be safe, Bella, but to be honest, I hope it's a long time before you ever have to worry about that."

"I know, Charlie, but I'm not a little girl anymore, and I'm not taking any chances."

"You know, your mother said the same thing… Well, are you ready to go home?" I was done with my burger now. Charlie had finished his pie and was just waiting on me to finish up as we chatted.

"Yeah, I'm done. Let's go home."

We got up to leave and Charlie paid at the counter. We went out to the cruiser and drove home. Day two of school was done, but at least tomorrow was Friday.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i

The buzzing noise was droning loudly through the room again but it didn't seem quite so annoying today. I supposed that had something to do with it being Friday. I looked at the clock on the night stand as I reached over to shut off the alarm. It was six thirty a.m. on Friday, the beginning of day three at Forks high school. At least it was the end of the first week.

I got out of bed and started my morning routine. I grabbed my toiletries bag and went to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. Thankfully, I was able to take my pill, and then put the plastic container back into the drawer in my nightstand. I had gone through a lot to finally get my prescription refilled at the pharmacy last night. It was never a secret that I was on the pill, but it wasn't something I would have discussed with my father if I could have avoided the topic. Now he knew everything, and I didn't really mind, but better safe than sorry.

I made up the bed and got dressed. I put on my makeup and grabbed my cell phone and dropped it in my purse. I grabbed my school bag, and went down to the kitchen. Charlie wasn't around, and I assumed he must be in the basement again like yesterday. He was certainly spending a lot of time down there. It made me wonder what he was hiding.

I set my purse and school bag on a chair by the table, and went to get my coffee. The coffee maker was turned on, and there was still coffee in the pot, but there was a note on the notepad on the counter in front of the coffee maker.

_Bells,_

_Got called into work early. _

_See you after school. _

_Love, Dad_

So Charlie was already gone for the day, and I wouldn't see him until tonight when he came home from work. I poured my coffee, and fixed it the way I liked it. I heated a pop tart in the toaster, and then sat down at the table.

I was staring at the locked basement door as I sipped my coffee and nibbled on my breakfast. Charlie had renovated the basement since the last time I'd visited here. When I was here when I was seven, the basement had been wet and musty and unfinished. Now all of the windows had been replaced, but they shuttered from the inside. The exterior access door was tight as a steel trap, and had a lock like a bank vault. The door I was looking at now was a solid custom built door that looked like it was built up around a metal core with heavy metal hinges in a steel frame. It had a solid looking deadbolt lock, and I knew Charlie kept the key in his pocket.

I didn't need a key to open it now.

Charlie was hiding something down there and he didn't want me to know what it was. The door was always locked, and the only time it wasn't locked was when he was using it to go into or out of the basement. He had to know how curious I was. A locked door and a secret only made me more curious and piqued my inquisitive nature. I wanted to know what Charlie would be so secretive about, and what he would spend so much money to make secure.

I got up and walked into the living room and looked out the window to make sure Charlie's cruiser was gone. The driveway was empty. I went back into the kitchen and walked across the room to the basement door to examine the lock. I took a close look at the deadbolt and then I studied the hinges. It wasn't my field of expertise, but all of the door hardware was solid looking and heavy duty. The heads of all of the bolts were on this side of the door. If you were trying to keep somebody out of the basement, wouldn't the hardware be on the other side? It was funny, but it was setup almost like it was to keep someone from getting out instead of keeping someone from getting in.

I gestured with my fingers and reached out to the blue threads of energy and drew them into my hand to shape the energy matrix that I needed. I reached out to the lock, and let the strands of power merge with the mechanism. I could feel all of the component parts and I knew how they moved to make the lock function. The lock shifted and the tumblers moved. I watched the keyhole rotate, and then the bolt shot back out of the steel framework and slammed into the heavy door with a solid thunk.

I reached for the doorknob, and pushed the door open. It swung silently on well oiled hinges and I stepped through onto the landing at the top of the stairs. There was a light at the bottom of the stairway, and it wasn't wet or musty in the basement anymore. Slowly, I crept down the stairs into the basement.

I didn't fully understand what I was seeing at first, and then I got scared. There was a large desk, with a modern looking computer, maybe a few years older than the one upstairs. There was a heavy bore bolt action hunting rifle in a rack next to the desk, and a box of what looked like hypodermic needles. I did a double take, and realized they were tranquilizer darts like the game wardens on the Discovery channel use to capture big game animals alive.

The rest of the room was sparsely furnished. There was an old sofa, a coffee table and old easy chair with a blanket thrown over the back. The floor was smooth concrete painted gray with some kind of sealing compound. The same thick smooth plastic paint coated the walls.

One wall held a huge cork board and was covered with pictures, newspaper clippings, and notes. They were grouped together with printed captions. Some of the groups were connected together with colored string. I just briefly glanced at that, but what caught my attention was at the opposite end of the room.

It looked like an old fashioned jail cell like you'd see in an old western movie with metal bars going from floor to ceiling and metal braces running crossways in between them to hold them in place. The walls and ceiling inside of the cell were covered with the same bar work, but the bars weren't all straight. A lot of the bars were bent and twisted but none of the openings was big enough for a person to crawl through. Some were shiny with scratches and scrapes that dug deep into the metal. There was a heavy looking lock plate that looked like it operated a lock bar that ran from floor to ceiling along the door. There was a heavy hinge down the opposite side of the bar work cell door.

I walked across the room toward the cell, and my stomach heaved. This was so sick and depraved! How could Charlie be a part of this? The cell was bare and unfurnished except for a battered and scared metal toilet in one corner. I was about halfway across the basement, when I realized there was someone in the cell.

Oh. My. God. How could Charlie have changed so much to have stooped to this? This was sick. My dad had turned into some kind of sick pervert, but he seemed so normal most of the time. Had he been like this all along, and I was only just finding out? Renee couldn't know about this or she wouldn't have sent me to live with him. I couldn't let this go on… He was my dad, but I had to tell someone about this…

There was a naked teenaged boy lying huddled on the floor in the back corner of the cell apparently asleep. He looked like he was about fifteen or sixteen years old but his sleep was troubled like he was plagued with a nightmare, and he twitched and jerked in his restless sleep. His skin was a deep russet color like the Native Americans from the reservation by the coast, and he had long black hair that was loose and partially hid his face. It looked like there was a manacle around his ankle and it was attached to a heavy chain that was bolted to the wall.

There was a pink and white scar covering half of his left thigh that looked like a recently healed vicious animal bite. There were healed claw marks across the left side of his stomach and chest. There was another pink and white scar wrapping around his left shoulder and bicep that looked like a poorly healed bite from some animal.

I grabbed the blanket off of the back of the chair as I walked across the room toward the cell. The boy was still asleep and jerked and moaned in his restless sleep. I reached the door of the cell and reached out to the lock. I was more complex than the deadbolt upstairs and was harder to open, but the tumblers turned after a minute and the locking bar popped open with a metallic clang. The boy shuddered, and I knew he was awake now. He was still and quiet, pretending to sleep, but he stopped twitching in reaction to the nightmare.

I pulled the metal bar cell door open, and walked into the cell. I cautiously approached the boy, and spread the blanket over him, but he didn't move and pretended to sleep.

"Hey, I'm here to help you." I said, and gently shook his shoulder. "I know you're awake. C'mon, let me see your ankle, and I'll get you out of here…" Suddenly he jerked away from me and huddled into the corner with the blanket.

"No! You have to get out NOW! Is it daylight out? The moon must be down…" I tried to move closer, but he flinched away.

"No! Stay away! You have to leave now! It isn't safe… I could hurt you…" He cowered into the corner when I reached out to him so I backed off.

"Why are you here? Is Charlie hurting you? Did he do this to you? What's your name? I can get help or call your parents…"

"NO! You can't tell anyone! Charlie is trying to help. My father brought me here to keep me safe… You've got to leave now! If you came through the door, you must have set off the alarm. Charlie will be back to check on me. He can't find you here. He'll be mad if he finds you down here…"

"There's an alarm?" I asked, worried now. "At least tell me your name. Why are you here?"

"I'm Jacob Black. I'm sick… Sometimes I black out and hurt people… Charlie and my dad are working on a cure, but it takes time. Now leave! Before something happens or Charlie comes back."

I got up to leave, and Jacob tossed the blanket to me as I went out the door. "Here, put this back…"

"This is so wrong. You aren't even allowed a blanket?"

"I don't want it… if the depression comes back, I might hurt myself… I don't want to be tempted." Jacob's eyes flicked up at the ceiling.

I followed his eyes and there were shreds of fabric that looked like the remains of a braided cloth rope hanging from the bars. I shuddered at the thought that this would get bad enough that he'd want to kill himself.

I stepped out of the cell and swung the metal gate closed. It latched with a clang and I could feel that it was locked tight again.

"Hurry and get out before Charlie comes back, and I won't tell him you were here. He'll be worried and pissed off if he thinks he forgot to lock the door."

"I'll go for now, but I'm going to figure out what's going on Jacob! This isn't right, and I'm not going to just let this go!"

"Please just leave!"

I turned to go, and threw the blanket back over the chair. I was heading towards the stairs when something caught my eye, and I turned and looked at the cork board with all of the pictures and newspaper clippings. It was a headline from a tabloid newspaper I used to see in the grocery store in phoenix.

"_Serial Rapist Linked to Bizarre Satanic Cult"_

The warehouse in the picture looked like the same warehouse where James had parked the night he had taken me but it was a blackened burned out hulk now. There was an artists sketch of the main suspect. It was a picture of James. There was another picture of the inside of the warehouse. There had been a fire, but I could make out the shape of the circle on the floor and some of the symbols and script inscribed for the ritual.

There was a string linking that article to another story about a series of murders at the mall where Renee and I used to go to shop. All of the girls were raped and then murdered, with their throats slashed and extreme blood loss listed as the cause of death.

I backed up and looked at Charlie's 'Wall of Weird', and it was the same, over and over. Animal attacks, bizarre murders, unexplained disappearances, satanic cults, ritual murder, but the unifying theme was the same. They all looked like they were vampire attacks. I was shaking my head in disbelief, when something caught my eye in the corner.

There was a smaller group of photographs that looked like they'd probably been taken with a telephoto lens. They were pictures of the Cullen's. They looked like they were deep in the forest. In one photo there was a dead animal on the ground. It looked like a huge dear or an elk and little Alice was crouched over it with her teeth in its throat.

Charlie knew.

The doorbell rang upstairs, and I jumped. Charlie wouldn't ring the doorbell. It had to be Angela. I turned and fled up the stairs. I pulled the basement door closed and the bolt slammed home with a flick of my wrist. I shut off the coffee pot, dumped my cup in the sink, and grabbed my things as I raced to the door.

Angela was standing on the porch, and she smiled when I yanked the door open. I jumped out and pulled the door shut, and locked it with a flick of my fingers without even thinking. Angela looked startled.

"Well, I see you're advancing quickly. I take it the session with Sara went well the other day?"

"I'm sorry I'm late Angela. I got side tracked this morning…" more like blindsided. I hadn't expected this one. Not in a million years! "Sara was great, I learned a lot, but she has so much more to teach me…"

"You're not late, I'm early. I wanted to see how things went with Sara, but we can talk in the car if you're ready to go."

"Yeah, I'm ready to go. Let's get out of here."

I practically ran to the car, and Angela got into the driver seat. We drove to Haley's and picked her up, and then drove to Sara's and she was waiting for us when we got there. Haley and Angela both were dressed pretty much like they had been on Thursday, but Sara was back in a long dress that reached past her ankles and had thin lacy black sleeves.

She reached out and laid her hand on my shoulder after she got into the car, and I reached up and squeezed her hand again like yesterday. She tensed up for a second, and then sat quietly in the back seat for a minute while she took all of what I'd showed her in. I had a better idea how powerful her psychometry was, and I knew I couldn't keep any secrets from her.

I realized Sara probably was keeping more secrets than even Angela was. With her special ability she probably knew all of our secrets. Sara knew all the things I hadn't told Angela, and she probably knew all the things Angela hadn't told me. I didn't know if Haley or Michaela had any secrets, but she'd most likely know all of those too. Those were a lot of confidences to keep, and it made Sara very powerful, if there was anything you really didn't want people to find out.

I hadn't had any secrets that Sara didn't already share until this morning. She already knew about the Cullen's, and hadn't said anything to Angela for her own reasons. Now she knew what my dad was hiding in the basement, and I wondered what she'd have to say about that. Hopefully I'd have to wait until lunch to find out.

"Jeez, Bella, I like having you around. Your life is better than a soap opera. Are you gonna tell them?"

"Shit Sara, everyone's just gonna get curious when you start a conversation like that! Go ahead, you might as well tell the rest, it wasn't a secret anyhow."

"What happened now? Haley asked. "Your dad didn't catch you with Mike again, did he?"

"No, this was better." Sara said with a laugh. "Bella made her dad go to the pharmacy and pick up her refill for her birth control pills."

"Oh my god! Your dad?" Angela exclaimed. Then they all laughed.

"God, I'd die if my dad had to do that!" Haley said.

"He had to sign the parental authorization form anyhow so I could refill the prescription, and I was gonna be late for work if I went back to the pharmacy myself. The pharmacist wouldn't give me back any of my pills until I brought the paper back, and I needed my pill to take this morning."

I supposed discussing the pharmacy fiasco was a better topic of discussion than what I'd found in the basement. At least Sara hadn't brought up the conversation Charlie and I had after work. I was sure Sara would have questions at lunch. I knew I had questions for her and maybe she could give me some advice on what I should do about the situation.

Edward wasn't in school again today. I noticed almost immediately because Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were all standing by their car, but Edward was nowhere to be seen. When Edward had said that he would remove himself from my presence, and would not trouble me again, I hadn't meant to drive him from the school. I had a feeling that if he was avoiding the school, it went deeper than simply staying home. If he wasn't in school, he had most likely left town. I felt guilty that I had driven him away from his family.

The morning classes passed quickly, and then I was walking to lunch with Angela and Jessica. They were still ignoring each other as they walked with me into the cafeteria and got in line. I got my lunch and we went to our usual table as the rest of our friends made their way into lunch and came to sit with us. Mike was wearing his basketball jersey to school today, and Jessica cornered him and got him to sit next to her. She was dressed in a cheerleader uniform today, and I really didn't mind. I knew I was going out with him on Saturday so I wasn't too concerned about Jessica giving it her best shot. Maybe if he went out with Jessica again he'd back off on trying to push me into something I wasn't ready to do yet. He said he understood, and was willing to respect my boundaries, but he wasn't past going for what he wanted either if the opportunity presented itself. So far I'd been careful and lucky, but I wasn't a lucky person, and something was bound to go wrong eventually.

Alice was staring back at me when I looked over at the Cullen's table. She had an odd contemplative look on her face like she was considering options and trying to pick out the best choice out of several unappealing choices. Edward was still gone, and I didn't hold out much hope that he'd show up in Biology.

I was staring at the Cullen's table again when Sara got my attention and told me she wanted to go for a walk to have a cigarette. We got up to go dump our trays and walked out of the cafeteria. We were walking across the parking lot and nobody was around.

"So you figured out your dad knows about the Cullen's"

"I guess I'm more shocked that he knows about vampires at all. I don't really like any of the things I discovered this morning. Did you know he knew? And what about the rest of it? I got a cigarette out of my purse, and I nearly dropped it the way my hand was shaking. I lit it with a gesture of my fingertips, but I was lucky I didn't set my eyebrows on fire too.

Sara smiled, and did the same with her own. "I see you're getting good at that. I suspected that he knew, but Edward never came out and said it when we were dating. The Cullen's just seemed to end up working with the police on certain cases."

"Angela said that there weren't any cases of vampire attacks here in decades. Why would certain cases stand out because the Cullen's were involved?"

"There haven't been any cases that looked like vampire attacks 'reported' in decades. There's a difference. There haven't been any cases reported in Forks, but there have been nomads and rogues that pass through the area. Usually the Cullen's run them off so they don't cause any trouble around here. It would make life harder for them if there were a bunch of unexplained deaths. Not all of them leave peacefully."

"So there have been other vampires here in the past, but you think the police covered it up? Why would they do that?"

"Because the police arrest human criminals and turn them over to the justice system for trial and incarceration. You don't arrest a vampire or any of the other meta-humans. The human justice system wouldn't be able to hold them, and what kind of sentence do you impose on somebody that's basically immortal for all practical purposes? If you hunt a vampire, you make sure it's dead, or it'll come back and make sure you're dead."

"You think my dad is a vampire hunter! Then why hasn't he done anything about the Cullen's? He was the one that told me what a great man Dr. Cullen is, and he seemed friendly enough to Alice when we talked to her at breakfast last Saturday morning. He didn't seem concerned about Jasper."

"I think the Cullen's must have convinced him that they're the good vampires that Angela has been looking for. They don't rape and murder like the bad ones. You have to admit, your dad is a pretty open minded guy. He's cut you a ton of slack. Maybe he believes that the Cullen's aren't evil just because they're vampires. Not all humans are evil, but we've got our fair share of sick deranged perverts and serial killers. So do the other meta-humans."

"You keep using that term, 'meta-human'. Angela used it before too. What is that exactly?"

"Meta-human refers to the other species or races that can pass for human, and have freewill and souls like humans. Most of the ones that are left and haven't become extinct are the offshoots of humanity, like vampires. They're probably the largest meta-human race still in existence in the realm of Gaia."

"There are other races besides humans and vampires?"

"Yes, you've met some, but you didn't know it."

"I have? What other races and who wasn't human, besides the Cullen's?"

"The Fae are almost extinct, but there's still at least one colony deep in Tibet in the Himalayas. They are known by many names, but we most often refer to them as elves. Some call them fairies, but that just pisses them off. The Kindred are the most numerous. We call them vampires, but they're actually Succubi and Incubi. The Garou, or the children of the moon are the next most commonly encountered. We call them werewolves. You met one this morning in your basement."

"A Werewolf!"

"Shhh… jeez, Bella, just announce it to all of Forks why don't you. This shit is supposed to be secret. C'mon, we better head back or we'll be late for Biology."

I crushed out my cigarette, and we started back to school.

"Sara! You just told me my dad has a werewolf locked up in my basement! I guess that's better than being some kind of sick pervert that's into teenaged boys, but why is he there? He told me he's dangerous."

"He's still young. From the look of those scars, he's been recently changed. That's how you become a werewolf. It's kind of like being jumped into a gang. The bites spread the lycanthrope gene. It's like a disease that alters your DNA and rewrites your genetic code. When they're as young as that kid, they have practically no control, and phase whenever there's a full moon. The beast controls them, and they're consumed with bloodlust to hunt fresh meat and blood from humans. As they mature they gain control over the ability to change and learn to control their urges. There are rumors that the Quileutes have magick that gives them greater control over the change and the ability to withstand the bloodlust."

"There was a full moon last night…"

"And there'll be another one tonight. It's the last full moon of this phase. Jacob should be relatively safe after tonight."

"Wait, you said it's like being jumped into a gang. You think somebody did that to him on purpose, to make him a werewolf?"

"Yeah, there's a pretty large pack out at La Push. Most of the time, this is how they recruit. In other places and packs, its usually people that manage to survive a werewolf attack that change, but they have no clue what's happening to them. Usually they're drawn to join a pack after the first time they change. Once their bloodlust is satisfied, they hear the call of their pack mates and go to join them."

"Oh wow, that's so weird…"

"Ok, time to change the subject…" Sara stated. We were back in school now, and I guess it was a bad Idea to talk about werewolves in the hallway on the way to class.

"What are we going to do about your wardrobe, Bella? Seriously, are jeans and t-shirts all that you own? You're going to need some things for projects that we'll need to work on. When can we go shopping?"

"I have to work on Saturday, but I'm free Sunday. Where do you want to go, and I'll run it by Charlie."

"There's a decent mall in Aberdeen, with a Sears and JC Penny, and there's a Wal-Mart there too."

"Ok, sounds good to me. Let's plan on it and I'll talk to my dad and see what he says."

We walked into the classroom and Sara went and sat next to Angela, and I went and sat alone at my table again. Class dragged by with the next part of the chapter on cellular anatomy, and I didn't give it my full attention.

I absentmindedly took notes as I thought about going shopping with Sara. I liked Sara, but she definitely had an interesting fashion sense. Something new and daring might be exciting, but I preferred to dress comfortably and casually most of the time. Maybe I could talk some of the other girls into going with us on Sunday so I could keep Sara grounded in reality and pick out clothes I might actually like to wear. Michaela seemed to dress more like me than the rest of the girls. Maybe I could get her to go.

I knew I'd end up buying some skirts or dresses. That seemed pretty much a given with this group. That would require pantyhose or tights as well. I didn't want to even consider more elaborate lingerie at this point. I wanted some normal clothes too. A couple of pair of jeans wouldn't hurt, and some more Forks appropriate tops would be good and help flesh out my options.

Biology ended and Mike was there to walk me to gym class. Jessica was glaring at me again, but I didn't care. I really didn't want to have to deal with the high school drama, but she seemed to be into it. If she thought she had to win Mike back then that was fine by me, but he was walking with me when we went into the gym.

I was expecting gym class to be a repeat of the hell I had to endure yesterday, but it wasn't as bad. Haley and Michaela had learned their lessons, and didn't try to get me onto their team. I got onto a team with Mike and Alice, and between the two of them, they pretty much covered for me. I simply tried to stay out of the way, but we still lost points when I had to serve.

It was getting close to the end of class, and I still hadn't had a chance to talk to Haley and Michaela about going shopping on Sunday. I finally got a chance to talk to them at the end of class. We were cleaning up to head back to the locker room, and we were putting the balls away. They seemed to be relieved that I hadn't been on their team, but they came over to see what I wanted when I called them over.

"Hey, Bella, what's up?" Michaela asked when she got there.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Haley asked.

"I'm going shopping on Sunday with Sara at the mall in Aberdeen, and I was wondering if either of you wanted to go with us? I know Angela will probably have plans, so I thought I'd ask…"

"Looking for someone to try and rein Sara in a bit?" Michaela asked with a knowing grin.

Haley giggled. "Yeah, some of Sara's fashion choices are a little over the top. Don't worry Bella she won't run you over or get too outrageous, but you'll probably buy some things you never thought you'd buy. I'd go, but I have to work. I had the weekend off, but I traded shifts to get more hours, sorry."

"How about you, Michaela, do you want to go?"

"I can't go either. I'm going for a drive with Dean that day. There are some car parts he wants to look at that he found on the internet, and then we're going to Port Angeles for lunch and a movie."

"Ok. Well, I just thought I'd ask. Maybe we can plan a girls day out some other time."

"Sure, Bella. Let me check my schedule at work, and we can get together and come up with something fun to do." Haley said.

We went into the locker room to shower and change. Most of the girls were already gone. A lot of the girls just got dressed to leave because it was the last class of the day, and they'd shower at home, but I was going to Sara's so I took the time to shower today. I was sitting on the bench tying my boots when Alice came over to talk to me.

"I heard you talking to Haley and Michaela about your plans on Sunday. I usually go to Seattle to shop, but I'll go with you to Aberdeen on Sunday with Sara, if you don't mind me tagging along."

"That would be great, Alice, I'd love to have you come with us."

"Thanks, Bella, I didn't know if you were mad at me about the other night or not, but I heard you talking to the girls, and I thought I'd offer…"

"Why would I be mad at you? You saved my ass. I can only imagine how much worse that would have been if you hadn't called and Charlie was knocking on the window while I was grabbing for my pants."

"Yeah, that would have been worse. A lot worse."

"I was kind of surprised you didn't turn up last night. I kind of thought you would have been there."

"You had a lot going on already, and I didn't want to intrude."

"Thanks Alice. Let me find out what time we're leaving on Sunday, and I'll call you to make arrangements, ok?"

"Sounds good, Bella, I'll see you this weekend."

I waved goodbye and walked out of the locker room. The girls were waiting in the parking lot so we could get on with the weekend. At least some of my plans looked like they would work out. We drove away from the school, and Angela and Haley dropped us off at Sara's house.

We went into the house and back to Sara's room, but she didn't lock the door.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked. Sara was rooting around inside of her closet, and then she stepped out.

"Basic combat training," and she tossed a volleyball at me.

I instinctively ducked out of the way and batted the ball away when I tried to catch it. The ball bounced off the wall, ricocheted off the desk knocking over some books and a cup of pens, and landed on the bed.

"Not funny, Sara! Really what are we gonna do today."

"I wasn't kidding. I know about what happened in gym class yesterday. I'm not teaching you these skills just for shits and giggles. This isn't something that you use every now and then when the mood strikes you. Magick needs to become a part of your everyday life. You don't need to be afraid of the ball, Bella." Sara reached out with her hand, and the ball flew to her and balanced on the palm of her hand. "You need to take control of the situation. Maybe you aren't any good at sports, but you're awesome at TK. You need to turn this around and use gym class as an opportunity to practice your abilities."

"You mean right out there in front of the whole class?"

"Nobody there can see what you're doing. The only people who could even notice won't care. You're just hitting or throwing a ball. Why would anyone suspect anything? Here, give it a try."

Sara tossed me the ball again, but this time I reached out to it with the network of blue threads, and it flew into my hand.

"Wow, I never thought of this. This might even make gym class fun…"

"Come on, let's get out of here, and go someplace where we have more room to practice."

Sara grabbed a bag, and asked if it was ok if she just changed at my house before we went to the basketball game, and I said sure. She could change while I was fixing Charlie's dinner. We went back through the house, and out to the garage through a door in the kitchen. Sara pressed a button on the wall, and the garage door opened, and we got into a blue '94 Pontiac Sunbird convertible. She pulled out of the garage, and then used the remote to close the garage door.

"Is this your car, Sara?" I asked.

"Yeah, my sister gave it to me when she got her new car."

"Why do you ride with Angela, if you have your own car?"

"Same reason Haley rides with her. We all live close together, it saves on gas, and we like spending time together. I like Angela, Haley and Michaela, even if they are a little too goodness and light for my tastes sometimes. Michaela is more like us, but she's still more one of them than one of us."

"So how are we different than 'them'? I didn't realize there was a 'them and us'."

"We're the ones that are willing to do 'whatever it takes', remember? Angela and Haley have limits, and lines they won't cross. I'll show you where the lines are, but I have a feeling that you'll do what you have to when the time comes. You're already committed to going further than a lot of their boundaries allow by accepting me as you teacher."

"Ok… So, you said this used to be your sisters car, is she still around?"

"Yeah… I live with Kiersten, but she works in Port Angeles and commutes back and forth so she's not around much. I guess Angela didn't tell you much about me, did she."

"No, all she said was that you were visiting relative for the holidays with your family. I just assumed she meant your parents. So you live with your sister?"

"Yeah, Kiersten is pretty cool for a sleeper. She doesn't know anything about magick. At least she doesn't want to believe any of it."

"Can I ask what happened to your parents? You don't have to tell me if you don't want too. I don't mean to pry…"

"It's ok. Everyone else knows the story. I never knew my dad. Mom said he left before I was born. I never heard a good story why. Kiersten says he loved mom but he was weird, and strange things used to happen all the time. From what I can piece together, I think he was awakened like us. I'd like to believe that he left to protect us, but I don't really know. I don't even know if he's alive or dead."

"Have you ever looked for him?"

"I've done a little digging for the basic facts, but if I started any real research, I could be leading the technomancers to him. After I graduate, I might go look for him and try and find some answers, but there's time yet."

"What happened to your mom?"

"She died when I was twelve, five years ago. She was on a business trip to Detroit, and she was attacked and mugged by gang members. They left her for dead in an alley. We had to have a closed casket at the funeral after what they did to her. Kiersten had just turned nineteen, and she fought to keep me, when the State wanted to put me in foster care."

"Why did you stay in Forks, if she works in Port Angeles?"

"The house here was paid off as part of the insurance settlement, and there was enough left for us to live on until she finished school. Angela's family helped too. I spent a lot of time with the Weber's, and they were practically my foster family while Kiersten finished her education. She went to community college in Port Angeles for her first two years and commuted to school so she could take care of me. Then she asked the Weber's to help so she could finish her final two years of college at WSU in Seattle.

"I was studying with Angela and her grandfather almost from the beginning, so I was practically part of the family, but after what happened to my mom, Angela and I started to drift apart. I started down paths she couldn't follow. I wanted to learn things that she couldn't study."

We had driven north out of Forks while we were talking, but we didn't stay on the highway for long. We passed the turn-off for highway 110 that would have lead west to the airport and La Push, but then turned right onto Sitkum-Solduc Road heading east. We passed a big lumber mill and a couple of houses, and then Sara turned off onto a dirt logging road that lead into the forest.

"If you and Mike are looking for a little privacy, there are a lot of good spots along the river out here. The logging companies cut these roads to get to the lumber, but they're pretty much done with these tracts close to town. The fishermen use these roads to get down to the river, and some hunters that don't want to go too far from town. Mostly I think the kids from school come out here to park and make out, but it's a little early for that, so we should be ok."

Sara parked the car in a shady grove of trees, but there was a big open area that had been clear cut of trees. The big roughly oval field was about a mile long and four or five hundred feet wide and was littered with stumps and downed trees. There was still brush and assorted smaller undergrowth, but it looked rough and the ground had been churned by the treads of tractors and power equipment before the vegetation had started to reclaim the area. It was surrounded by denser forest, but I could hear the river running south of us.

"You want to practice here? I'll kill myself if I try and walk out there! I can barely stay upright on a flat even floor or paved sidewalk!"

"Don't worry, I'll show you some tricks to make it easier. You'll be ok, c'mon let's get started."

Sara got out of the car, and took the volleyball with her. I sighed and got out of the car. I still hadn't been to the hospital yet, and this was something of a record for me. I supposed it was too good to last. Maybe we'd still have time to make it to the basketball game after we went to the emergency room…

"Are you using the sight, Bella?" Sara asked.

"No, it's hard enough maneuvering out here only using my own two eyes…"

"Stop and shift, and watch what I'm doing."

Sara appeared to be crossing the rough terrain gracefully and effortlessly, and she hardly appeared to even pay attention to the ground around her as she avoided obstacles. I reached into the back pocket of my jeans and took out the laminated card Angela had given me. I was getting better at this, and I hardly glanced at it and shifted into the sight.

I slowly and carefully walked closer to Sara. There was a faint tracery of blue threads radiating out from her aura and surrounding her legs and feet extending out from her in a circle on the ground. It was apparently interacting with the terrain around her to make it easier for her to move through the rough terrain.

"What are you doing, and how does that work?" I asked

"I told you that the TK powers were all variations on a theme and used the same basic matrix. This ground effect field is useful as a basic form of travel and is a simple form of levitation."

"Levitation…? But you're standing right there on the ground, you're not floating…" Sara rose two feet in the air and hovered in front of me as I spoke.

"If you stay close enough to the ground, people will think you're walking or running because you're moving your feet. The energy matrix will avoid obstacles if you want it to, and you won't fall down unless you want to. Oh yeah, it'll keep your socks dry too if you cross a puddle."

"That is so cool. Now this is something I can use!"

"Here, try it on for size." Sara moved next to me, and dropped down so she was standing on the ground.

I leaned down and touched the tracery of blue threads around her legs that radiated out from her aura. It was very similar to the TK energy matrix with subtle variations, and I committed the pattern to memory. I gestured with my fingers reaching out for the blue threads of power, and quickly fashioned a replica of the matrix Sara was using. It merged with my aura spreading out around me encircling my legs and feet and flowing out over the ground around me.

"How do I use this?"

"Think about where you want to go, just like if you were going to walk there."

I had never been graceful before, but suddenly it was like I couldn't fall down. I automatically avoided obstacles in my path, and I could maneuver across the broken terrain as easily as walking down the sidewalk. Easier in fact. I would have tripped over cracks in the pavement walking on a smooth sidewalk.

"Ok, try running now."

"I don't know, Sara…"

"Just trust me, and believe in yourself. Follow me."

Sara jogged forward a couple of steps, and I followed her.

"See, it's easy. Now faster…"

Sara took off across the clearing, and I tried to keep up. I was surprised that I could, and I wasn't getting tired. Sara ran faster, and I stayed with her. I was shocked that the trees along the edge of the clearing were blurring past us. Then Sara stopped. I was fifty feet past her before I realized she had come to a stop. She was laughing, and I turned red and I blushed as I realized what had happened. I turned and ran back to her, and I was at her side in a second.

"This is like what I showed you when we were throwing the pencil. This doesn't matter how strong your muscles or legs are. It uses your power and the force of your will. You're faster than me if you want to be. Speed is all in your head. Ok, now watch this. See that big stump across the clearing?" I nodded but it had to be a hundred yards away…

Sara crouched down, and then leapt into the air. She kept soaring upwards in a smooth arc as she sailed across the clearing, and then gracefully landed on top of the stump she had pointed out.

"Ok, now you try it" she yelled back across the clearing to me."

"Yeah, right… Just leap a hundred yards… No problem, I do that every day…" I muttered to myself. I crouched down, and jumped as hard as I could, and I was surprised that it worked.

Shit! It worked too well, and I didn't know my own strength! I sailed clean over Sara and the stump and I was heading for the trees. I didn't want to come down in the trees! I pinched my eyes shut, expecting to go crashing through the branches. How the hell was I going to explain this one in the ER?

I didn't go crashing through the branches. Slowly I opened my eyes and realized I had come to a stop above the tree tops as I hung there in space staring down at them. I was hanging a hundred fifty feet up in the sky, looking down at the tree tops.

"Bella! Are you ok?" Sara yelled from far behind me back in the clearing. She sounded very far away.

"Yeah, I yelled back. I'm over the trees, how do I get back to the clearing?"

"Concentrate on the direction that you want to move, and you will."

Ok, let's give this a try. I concentrated on turning to face the direction Sara's voice was coming from, and I did. I thought about moving forward, and I started to move over the treetops toward the clearing. I could see Sara now, and I concentrated on moving towards her, and I did. I came to a stop standing next to here by the stump.

"What happened, Bella? I thought you were going to jump to the stump?"

"It looked really far away, and I didn't think I could do it, so I just thought about jumping as hard as I could… Then I was gonna come down in the trees, and I was thinking, 'I don't want to come down in the trees', and I just stopped over the tops of them, hanging in the air…"

"Ok, that's my fault. I guess I need to be more specific. If you pick a target to jump to, you'll automatically use the right amount of force to get there."

"So I should have been thinking jump to the stump, and I would have."

"Yes, exactly."

"What would have happened if I landed in the trees?"

"You probably would have been hurt by hitting the branches. Moving like this will avoid avoidable objects, but if you were running flat out into a wall, you'd still go splat against the wall."

"Ok, that could be a problem…"

"Just be careful and take this one step at a time. I don't want to overwhelm you with too much too fast. Try not to run into and trees or walls, ok?"

"I'll try. It's not like I do a lot of running anyhow…"

"Yeah, well let's get on with that basic combat training, now that you know how to move around." She turned and looked back toward the car where she'd left the ball laying on the ground. She held out her hand, and the ball flew to her and she caught it.

"Ok, let's start off with a little catch. Head over to the other side of the clearing, and I'll throw you the ball. Catch it, throw it back. Let's keep this interesting, keep moving, and catch the ball on the fly, alright?"

"I'll try, but I'm not making any guarantees…"

Sara nodded, and I moved across to the other side of the clearing. I looked back, and the ball was flying at me fast. My gut reaction was to bat it away and knock it down, but I resisted the urge, and reached out to the ball. It flew to my hands, and I caught it. This was so cool!

I jogged down the edge of the clearing, like Sara was doing, and then threw the ball back. She was too far away for me to have ever thrown the ball on my own, but I gave the ball a boost in the right direction, and if flew across the clearing into her hands. We kept up like this for a while.

I was actually having fun throwing a ball while running for the first time in my life. It was amazing.

"Ok, Bella, that's good. Now let's change this up. Don't catch it, but just push it back as soon as it hits your hands, like in volleyball."

"I'll try…" I called back skeptically.

"You can do this, Bella!" The ball came sailing across out of the sky right at me…

And then it was flying back to Sara! I did it! It came right to my outstretched hands, and bounced off to fly across the clearing to Sara! I was so gonna dominate the court on Monday! We practiced this for a while, and then moved onto dodge ball.

I think this was the real basic combat training and everything up to this point had been to help boost my confidence and get me ready for this. The game was simple. Sara would chase me, and try to hit me with the ball, and I had to dodge it, without trying to affect the ball. She got to keep going until she hit me, and then I'd get a chance to try and hit her. Sara's turns were pathetically short, and she typically nailed me on the first try. Mine seemed to last forever, as she bobbed and weaved and avoided my feeble attempts to hit her with the ball.

We finished up with a little target practice with the steel shot I'd bought at work, shooting at a target that Sara carved on a tree trunk. It was a bit of an ego boost after my pathetic showing at dodge ball. I wanted to ask Sara what I should do about Charlie, and I got my opportunity during the target practice.

"Sara, what do I do about Charlie now? He has a teenaged boy chained up in our basement for gods' sake! At first I thought it was something sick and perverted going on, but Jacob said he was trying to help him… And what about this vampire hunting thing? I want that bastard James to suffer, but he's dangerous… I don't want Charlie to get hurt."

"Charlie is helping Jacob. He's too new to have any kind of control over his change. Some members of the pack would object to restraining him during the change, so they have to do it off of the reservation."

"What! Do they want him to go out and murder people?"

"No, they think the pack together could restrain him and teach him their ways, but they are known to have accidents. It's safer with your dad helping out."

"Ok, so what about the vampire hunting thing… Should I talk to Charlie?"

"Not yet. I think he'd totally freak out if you told him you know. He'd totally crack down on you, unless you showed him what you can do. I don't think you're ready for that yet."

"Ok…"

Let's take it one step at a time, and you can talk to him about it when you're more prepared to help."

I nodded and we kept shooting at the target. I didn't even hit the tree every time, but I could see I was improving, and I knew I'd get better with practice. Then we got back in Sara's car to head back into town so I could get dinner ready for Charlie and get ready for the basketball game.

We got to Charlie's house, and I was surprised that the cruiser was in the driveway. It was too early for Charlie to be home for the day. He was usually later. We went inside, and the house was empty. I had to assume he was down in the basement. I took Sara upstairs and showed her where everything was, and then went down to get dinner going.

It was Friday night, so I made fried fish and country potatoes. We had a ton of fish, and if I didn't cook it, we'd never use it all up. Besides, Charlie brought more home every weekend. Sara came down from changing while I was fixing dinner.

"Hey, Sara, find everything alright." I asked

She was wearing a super short mini skirt with pink and black striped leggings, knee high black leather platform soled boots that laced up the front and had a row of silver buckles up the side, and a sleeveless form fitting black leather top with more silver buckles. Her hair was combed out straight and hanging loose now.

"I hope you don't mind, I took a look in your closet. Seriously, that's all you brought from Phoenix? You were intending to live here, right? This really isn't just a visit?"

"I left a lot of things back in Phoenix. I didn't think I'd have much use for spaghetti straps and shorts when it hardly cracks seventy here in the middle of summer."

" Jeez, Bella, I took more than that just to visit the relatives in Seattle for a week. It's a good thing we're going shopping on Sunday."

"Yeah, about that shopping trip…"

"What, you're not backing out are you?"

"No… I haven't told Charlie I'm going yet, but I hope you don't mind. I was talking about going shopping in gym today, and I kinda invited Alice Cullen to go with us. Is that alright?"

"Sure, Alice is cool. We get along just fine, but you don't know what you've gotten yourself into, inviting her to shop. This is going to be epic!"

Dinner was ready. I was putting it on the table when the basement door opened and Charlie came up to join us. He shut the door and locked it.

"Hi, Bells. Dinner smells good. Is your friend staying for dinner?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, dad. You're going to have dinner, aren't you, Sara? Dad, this is my friend I was telling you about, Sara Martin."

Sara held out her hand to Charlie. "Hi Chief Swan, It's a pleasure to meet you. Sure, Bella, dinner sounds good." Charlie shook Sara's hand and they sat down at the table.

"It's nice to meet you too, Sara. I'm glad Bella is making some friends here in Forks… Bella, you didn't see anyone hanging around the house this morning before you left for school, did you?"

"No, Charlie, but I didn't really pay attention. Angela came early, and I hurried out to meet her. We just left to go pick up Haley. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular, just following up on reports… So you girls are going to the basketball game tonight?"

Charlie knew someone had been in the basement this morning, but apparently he didn't know it was me. We chatted about the basketball season, but neither of us was really interested in it. I was going to the game because Mike was playing, and Sara was going because I'd asked her to go with me. This was probably a good time to bring up Sunday.

"Hey, dad, you know how I was saying that I needed to go shopping to pick up some more Forks friendly clothes to flesh out my wardrobe?"

"Yeah, Bells, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, Sara asked me if I wanted to go to the mall in Aberdeen on Sunday to do a little shopping…"

"All the way down in Aberdeen, just the two of you? What's wrong with Port Angeles?"

"Alice is going with us too, so it would be the three of us…" Sara said.

"And there's a Sears and JC Penny at the mall in Aberdeen," I chimed in. "All port Angeles has is Nordstrom's and Walmart and a bunch of boutiques."

"Alice Cullen is going shopping with you?" I thought Charlie was going to choke on his fish.

"Sure, dad, that's alright, isn't it?"

"I suppose so… You're going to pick out some nice normal clothes that you can wear to school, right?" Charlie glanced at Sara for a second, and I could almost see him shiver. Then he looked back at me.

"Yeah… Maybe a few nicer things to wear when I go out, too. You didn't seem to approve of the outfit I was wearing on Sunday."

"You looked nice on Sunday night. It just looked a little summery to be wearing in the middle of winter, even if it hasn't snowed yet this year."

"So it's alright if I go shopping on Sunday then?"

"Yeah, I guess so, if you already have this all planned out. Just be careful."

"Thanks, Charlie."

We were done with dinner and Sara helped me clear the table. I washed the dishes and stacked them in the rack to dry, and then Sara and I went up to my room so I could change to go to the basketball game.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i

"I can't believe I let you talk me into wearing this." I told Sara as we walked toward the gym from the parking lot at the high school.

"Oh, quit complaining. You look hot, and we're going to miss the start of the game if we don't hurry."

We walked into the lobby of the gym. There was a short line where a table was setup and a couple of ladies were collecting the entry fee and then marking people's hands with a marker to show that they had paid to get in.

Sara had taken the liberty of laying my clothes out for me while I was in the shower, and had picked out my outfit with a couple of additions that she'd brought from her house to help me out. I was wearing the black mini skirt that was one of the three skirts I owned. The one that was too short for a first date. Sara had brought a pair of pink leggings to wear with it and a pair of black Lolita pumps with a three inch platform sole, chunky high heel and black bows. The low cut top and cardigan were mine, and Sara had let me do my own makeup, so I guess I still looked like me. I just wasn't used to dressing like this to go out.

We paid and walked into the gym, and spotted Angela, Haley and Michaela in the bleachers. They were up at the top row, and it looked like they were saving us seats. We were about to head inside when somebody walked up beside me.

"Hey, Bella, Sara, do you mind if I join you tonight?" It was Alice Cullen. "We can talk about our shopping trip on Sunday and work out the details."

"Sure, Alice," I said. "C'mon, let's find our seats before the game starts. So are you alone tonight? Where's Jasper?"

"The rest of the family doesn't like coming to the extracurricular activities at school. They find it hard enough to endure the regular school day, without spending more time here after hours. I don't mind it at all, myself. I like having the entire high school experience sometimes."

Mike spotted us coming into the gym from where the basketball team was gathered on the court and waved to us as we climbed into the stands. Sara sat next to Michaela, and I sat between Sara and Alice. It was a typical high school basketball game, and I knew enough about what was going on to know when to cheer for our side. We sat through the first half, but I really didn't want to watch Jessica and Lauren cheer at the half time show, so we excused ourselves to go to the concession stand.

Alice fell into step beside me after we climbed down out of the bleachers.

"Hey you guy's, wait for me. I know you're going to have a smoke, and I'm just dying for a cigarette."

"Sure, Alice," Sara said as we walked around to the back side of the gym out of view of the rest of the people stepping out for some fresh air during the break. "No problem. So, rough day? How long have you been pushing it this time? Bella said your eyes were completely golden on Saturday, and Jessica didn't have any new gossip to spread about you. You can't hold out forever you know, or you'll hurt yourself."

We waited until we were out of sight around the back of the building to light up and have a cigarette. We weren't the only ones out there, but we kept to ourselves where we could talk privately.

"I know," Alice sighed. "I'm thinking about asking Carlisle to try the donated blood again." Alice made a face like a kid considering the merits of Brussels sprouts or spinach. "It's been over a month now…"

"A month! I'm surprised Jasper hasn't stepped in and done something. You know, the longer you wait the more dangerous it is when you finally give in and do it…"

"I know. I didn't drink when I went out with Eric. We just watched the movie, had Ice cream, and I took him home. It was just a nice normal human date. I had fun, but I know what I was supposed to do. I had the same conversation with Rose and Esme this morning, but none of the guys around here really interest me, and I just want to be with Jazz…"

"You just want to be human, but you're not. You know my offer still stands…"

"I know, but I've been ordered not to, so there's nothing I can do about it… It's either the donated blood or I need to find somebody to go on a date with."

"So let me see if I'm following this…" I said. "You need human blood to survive, but you've been resisting the urge to feed because you wish you were human? So that's why you need somebody to go on a date with? What's wrong with donated blood? It seems like that would be perfect for you guys, what with Carlisle being a doctor and all…"

"The blood banks treat the donated blood with chemicals to prevent it from clotting and to make it easier to store. It ruins the taste and besides, it's just not the same as fresh. It's really kind of gross…"

"Alice, you're talking about drinking blood. The entire subject is kind of gross. So how does this dating thing work? You just bite them, and then make then forget?"

"It's a little more involved than that, Bella. If I just grabbed someone off the street and bit them, I could make them forget for a while, but eventually the memories would resurface, and they'd remember what happened. That's how myths and legends get started. Besides, the poor person would probably end up in a padded room or years of therapy after an experience like that."

"To work in this kind of circumstance, you need real memories to alter and muddle. It's easiest to make your date think it was just a heavy make out session or rough sex, and then you can bury the memories permanently by altering their perceptions of what really happened. Of course that requires the heavy make out session or rough sex in the first place before you bite them. Then it's easy to change what they remember, because you have something to work with. Not to mention that it's fun most of the time too, but I really wish I could just be with Jasper that way..."

"Alice, you're a succubus," Sara said. "Seducing men is what you do. It's your nature. You're going to hurt yourself and kill somebody if you keep denying your urges and don't feed soon. How long do you think you can live on cigarettes and animal blood?"

"Carlisle and Esme are exclusive, and don't go out with other people…"

"Yeah, and they use the donated blood. Besides, you and I both know Esme slips every once in a while, and Carlisle ignores it and looks the other way. It's what she is. It's her nature, and it's what you are too. The longer you deny yourself, the stronger the bloodlust will get…"

"I know…"

"If you don't feed soon, Alice, you could lose control and kill someone when you finally give in to the urge."

Alice changed the subject after that, and we finalized our plans to go shopping on Sunday. Alice talked Sara into letting her drive and she'd pick us up Sunday morning. Once the plans were settled, we went back inside to watch the second half.

After what Sara and I had practiced this afternoon, I couldn't help myself from interfering a little in the game. Mikes shooting percentage went way up, and it seemed like almost every time he shot the ball it went through the hoop, while the other team couldn't seem to score. Sara just looked over at me and smiled. She knew what I was doing. I didn't keep it up for long. Well, at least I let the other team score again if they made a basket, but Forks was way ahead, and won easily.

I tried to talk to Mike after the game when all of the kids flooded out of the stands onto the court to congratulate the team, but he was too busy basking in the glory of his easy win to notice me. Besides, that bitch Jessica Stanley was hanging all over him as the teams went into the locker rooms to change.

Sara, Alice and I walked out to the parking lot and went to Sara's car. Alice told us goodnight, and we left to go to the drive-in. We sat down with Angela and Ben, and Haley and Michaela as we waited for the guy's from the basketball team to show up. Michaela got up to go sit with Dean when he showed up. The rest of the team filtered in, but Mike was a no show, and I wondered what was keeping him. He said he would be here to hang out after the game. I commented on it to Sara, and she was the one that pointed out to me that Jessica hadn't come in with the rest of the cheerleaders, and was missing too.

All of the rest of the kids had been there for at least thirty or forty minutes when Mike and Jessica showed up together, but there was nothing I could say about it. Why was I even feeling jealous of that slut Jessica hanging all over Mike? I was the one that had said I didn't want a boyfriend, and that we could go out with other people. I was the one that didn't want to be tied down, so why did I have the sudden urge to scratch the bitch's eyes out?

I had had as much as I could take for one night, and I asked Sara to take me home. I was early again for a Friday night, well before my curfew. Charlie seemed very happy that it was Sara dropping me off, and not Mike.

I had some serious thinking to do about this whole just friends thing. If I didn't want a boyfriend, then why was I feeling jealous of Mike and Jessica being together? True, I didn't want to catch anything from the bitch, but that was beside the point. Did I even like Mike that much too even care? Sure, he was nice and kind of cute, but he wasn't really the guy I saw myself falling for. He was just kind of convenient, and we had kind of been thrown together by circumstance.

Maybe it was time to back off, and take it easy for a while. Maybe I should step back and see who else was a better choice to spend my time with in Forks if I was looking for any kind of relationship. Of course, I wasn't looking for any kind of relationship. The whole point of even going out with Mike was just to have some fun to forget about James.

The fact of the matter was that I didn't regret what I'd done with Mike, and I was comfortable with how far I had let things go. I wasn't ready to stop now, but If I wasn't fooling around with Mike, I'd have to find somebody else to take his place. I just hadn't met that many people in Forks yet to have a suitable replacement available. I was considering the possibilities as I drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11 Weekend Fun and Games

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. This chapter will set things up to move along and get back on track. Happy New Year. Enjoy.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 11 Weekend Fun and Games

I slept in a little later the next morning. It was Saturday and I didn't have to be to work until ten. I got up and ran through my morning routine and showered, brushed my teeth, and got dressed for work. It was around nine thirty when I finally went downstairs to grab a cup of coffee.

I was surprised that Charlie was still home when I walked into the kitchen. It was Saturday morning, after all… Shouldn't he be standing by a river somewhere with a fishing pole in his hand?

"Morning, Charlie. Shouldn't you be out fishing someplace? This is Saturday morning. I figured you'd be gone when I got up."

"Harry Clearwater and Billy Black are coming over to help me with something this morning, and then we're heading out to La Push. I'll probably be gone for the rest of the day. You're working until six tonight, right? Should I come pick you up from work then?"

"Well, Mike is supposed to take me out to dinner tonight, but I'm kind of playing that by ear right now. We need to talk. Either way, I'll get a ride from him."

"Do I sense a little trouble in paradise there? If he isn't treating you right, you just let me know. I still think I should haul his ass downtown…"

"Charlie, leave Mike alone. I'm a big girl now. I can handle Mike. So what do Harry and Billy need to help you with this morning?"

"Oh nothing important… I just need them to help me move some things out of the basement…"

Ok, that was non-committal and evasive, but then he didn't know that I knew what was in the basement. Last night was the last full moon of the current lunar cycle, so apparently they were going to move Jacob back to La Push today.

"So they know what you have in the basement? I notice you keep it locked up tight. When are you going to show me what you keep down there?"

"It's nothing you need to worry your head about, Bella. Its guy stuff and some things I help the Quileute Tribal Council with. It's a private matter that Billy and Harry have shared with me, and they want to keep it that way. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything else."

"Ok, I guess, but you know locked doors make me curious. So do I need to come home and fix your dinner before I go out tonight?"

"No, don't bother. I'll be out in La Push late this evening. I'm eating at Billy's. I could come pick you up if you'd like to come out and meet the Blacks."

"Let's just play it by ear. If you don't hear from me, then assume I went out to dinner with Mike."

"Right, dinner with Newton, then what?"

"I don't know yet, we haven't made any plans besides dinner. If I go out of town, I'll call you. Otherwise expect me home by curfew, ok?"

"Fine."

I finished my coffee, and then it was time to leave for work. I heard Mike honk his horn out front. I rinsed out my coffee cup and set it in the rack to dry, told Charlie goodbye, and left to go to work. Mike greeted me with a smile, and said good morning, but I was giving him the silent treatment. We rode to the sporting goods store in silence. We got there early, and I stood outside and smoked a cigarette before I went in and punched in for my shift.

I learned the routine for opening the shop for business for the day. Karen was there with us to run me through the morning routine. She left around twelve o'clock once the store was open and I'd been shown the morning tasks. There were shelves to be stocked, clothes to fold and restock, shoes to put away and minor cleaning chores. There were more customers than we'd seen during the week, and we were both kept busy. Mike didn't have time to notice that I was mad at him, and I was too busy to give him the silent treatment while we were working.

I went to lunch at two o'clock at the middle of my shift, and walked over to the deli in the Thriftway to get a sandwich. I wasn't surprised to see Alice waiting there for me in the deli.

"Hi, Alice, so are we doing lunch today?"

"Sure, if you really don't mind. I find our conversations fascinating."

"I'm glad I can be so entertaining. So, no sandwich today? What are you having?"

"I thought I'd try the salad bar today."

I nodded and ordered my sandwich and got a bottle of water. Alice prepared a green salad with fresh fruit and then we left to go sit out back where we'd eaten lunch on Wednesday night.

"Alice, I've been meaning to ask you about Wednesday night, but we were never alone and I didn't want to discuss it in front of everyone. I appreciate what you did for me, but how did you know what Mike and I were doing, and where we were? Were you watching us?"

"Not the way you're thinking of… I'm not a peeping tom, Bella, and I don't get my kicks from spying on people. You know something about magick. I'm skilled at divination, and I have a talent for precognition. Sometimes I have spontaneous visions of things. Usually about people I care about or I'm attuned to. I saw what was going to happen in a vision, and I started looking for alternative paths to help you."

"You say you saw what was going to happen and you started looking for alternatives… So you calling wasn't originally what was supposed to happen. What did you change by calling and warning me?"

"Charlie shooting Mike, your dad hiding his body, you running away and leaving, stuff like that… Like I said, it would have been bad."

"God, I'm glad you did call! So this divination is a kind of magick then, and you have some talent with it? You said you're talented at precognition, so you mean you can see the future? Like some kind of fortune teller?"

"Hasn't anyone taught you about this yet? Yes, there are different schools of magick… different areas of study or specialization, so to speak. Some people are naturally more talented in certain areas than others, just like some people are talented at music for example. Some people could study and practice for years at an instrument, only to show mediocre ability, while someone who is talented could pick up the instrument and play like a virtuoso with minimal training."

I had been eating my sandwich as we talked. I was finished now, and got out a cigarette. I offered one to Alice. She took it, and I lit them for us.

"So you're saying other people could learn about divination and use it to some extent, but because of your talent, you're specially gifted."

"Yeah, kind of like that. I use several types of divination magick. It's my field of expertise, you could say, but I get spontaneous visions of future events because of my talent. Studying divination helps me control it."

"I'll have to bring this up with Sara, and ask her more about it. To be honest, I don't really even know enough yet to even ask intelligent questions."

"So you're studying with Sara? I thought Angela was teaching you? When did this all start?"

"When Sara came back from visiting her relatives. She could teach me things I couldn't learn from Angela, but we're all still friends. Alice, there's still so much I don't understand. I haven't told Angela about you, but you know she's searching for you, or at least vampires that are supposed to live in this area. Why is she searching for them?"

"I'm not allowed to say. What did she tell you? Why did she say she was searching?"

"She told me the same thing! That she wasn't allowed to say anything! She just said she was trying to finish what her grandfather had started, but that was it! Why is this such a huge secret? Why can't you tell me? I don't think she wants to hurt your family."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'd tell you if I could, but I'm literally not allowed to say anything. Its part of what I am. Vampires don't have completely free wills. The vampire that made you, your sire retains power over you, and can give orders that you have to obey. If I'm ordered not to tell, then I literally can't say anything about it."

"But you said you were born, not turned. You don't have a sire. Who holds power over you?"

"I've told you as much as I'm allowed already, and if they knew I was telling this much, I'm sure I'd receive more explicit orders. I'm sorry, Bella, but I can't say anymore."

"Ok, so another mystery. Well, thanks for helping me on Wednesday. So, am I still going to dinner with Mike tonight?"

"As far as I can tell, yes, you are."

"Fine, well I guess I better get back to work and talk to him about it then. He really pissed me off last night, but it's what I asked for, so I guess I can't really blame him. We're still on for shopping on Sunday, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it, we're going to have a great time. Just go with the flow, though, Bella. Try not to complain too much and you'll have more fun."

"I don't think I like the sound of that? What are you two going to do to me?"

"Nothing, just shopping, but we might need to broaden your fashion sense a little."

"Alice!"

"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Now get back to work and talk to Mike. Everything will work out, trust me. Oh, Chinese or Mexican is fine, but please not the pizza. Ok, see you later."

Alice got up and walked away. I dropped my cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it out, and then went back into the shop to go back to work. It was slower that afternoon, and I found time to talk to Mike before the afternoon crew came in. Wally and another guy that worked here were coming in at four to work until close, so I had a couple of hours to find a minute to talk to Mike about last night.

"Hey, Bella, busy day today so far, huh? So what do you feel like for dinner tonight?"

Mike had just finished ringing up some new jackets for a mom that was shopping with her kids for new coats. All of the dressing rooms were cleaned out and back in order, and I stopped by the register for a breather to say hi.

"So we're still going to dinner tonight? I figured you'd want to cancel so you could go out with Jessica after the way she was hanging all over you last night. You couldn't even find the time to say hi last night at the drive-in. I thought we were gonna hang out?"

"What's up with that? I asked you out to dinner tonight, and you said yes. I don't cancel when I make a date with a girl. You aren't jealous of Jessica, are you?"

"No," I lied. "But you seemed like you were awfully friendly with her last night. What took you so long to get to the drive-in, Mike?"

"Jessica and I talked. We used to go steady before she broke up with me."

"Just talked?"

"No, we didn't just talk. Do you want all the details? You sound like you're jealous. You're the one that said it was ok if I wanted to ask another girl out. You said that you'd be ok with it. Are you changing the rules on me?"

I was being a hypocrite, if I told him I didn't like him going out with Jessica too. I'd made the rules and told him it was ok to date other people. It wasn't my fault that that Jessica was throwing herself at him and he was taking advantage of the situation. If I didn't want it like that, then I shouldn't have set up the rule the way I had.

"No, I'm not changing the rules. I'm sorry, Mike. I shouldn't get like that. I was perfectly clear about what I wanted, so let's just stick to the arrangement. Where did you want to go for dinner?"

"Ok," Mike smiled at me, and I felt better. I liked it when he was paying attention to me. "Well, there's the North South Garden for Chinese, but we went there last week. Plaza Jalisco is good for Mexican, or there are a couple of good pizza parlors in town. If you want Pizza, we could go to the bowling alley and bowl a couple of games. If you feel like going for a drive, there's a nice little Italian place in Port Angeles."

Alice said no pizza, but I didn't know why. We'd been to the Chinese place last Sunday, and no I didn't feel like going for a drive so I guess we were doing Mexican tonight.

"Let's try the Plaza Jalisco. Are they any good?" I asked.

"I like it, but I'll let you make up your own mind."

"Ok, so then what's the plan, Mike? Do you have anything planned for the rest of the night? Oh, this is Saturday, are there races again?"

"No, no races this week. We could drive out to the airport if you were interested in watching some of the guys practice, or we could still go bowling. Otherwise I was thinking we could go back to my house and watch some movies."

So movie night with the Newton's. That sounded safe and fun. I could spend some time with Mike and his family, and he probably wouldn't try anything with his mom and dad sitting there with us.

"Ok, Movie night sounds fun. Have you got anything good, or is there a video store here in town where we can rent a movie?"

"The Thriftway rents movies. We could walk over there after work, and pick something out."

"Sounds good to me. I just need to run by my house for a minute to freshen up, and I should be good to go."

Mike nodded, and we got back to work to finish our shift. The rest of the afternoon flew by, and then Wally and Dave showed up to run the evening shift and work until close. There were a few more customers that afternoon, and then Mike and I punched out at six o'clock and walked down to the Thriftway store to pick out some movies. I could tell Mike was being extra nice, and he let me pick out what I wanted to see. I picked _Stardust_, and told him to get something he wanted to see. I'd seen him reading the back of the new _Pirates of the Caribbean_ movie, and some kung-fu spoof about a ping pong player, but he picked up the _Nanny Diaries_.

We went to the counter to rent the movies. Mike paid for them both, and wouldn't let me chip in or go half with him. He held my hand as we walked out to his car, and then he drove me to my house so I could get cleaned up. Thank god, Charlie was still gone, and I ran upstairs to change. I grabbed a clean shirt, and went down the hall to the bathroom. I washed and brushed my teeth and changed into a nice pullover sweater. Then I went back to my room to fix my makeup. Mike was good and waited for me downstairs. He'd thought ahead, and had brought a clean shirt with him to work, and had gotten cleaned up in the restroom before we went to rent movies.

Mike greeted me with a hug, and pulled me into his arms and kissed me at the bottom of the stairs when I came back down. I indulged him for a moment, and then pulled away. I didn't want things to get out of hand, and Charlie could walk through the door at any second. Besides, I'd just fixed my makeup, and we hadn't even made it to the restaurant yet. I took his hand, and pulled him to the door so we could leave. I stopped and he helped me into my coat, and then we went out to his car to drive to dinner.

I had been up and down North Forks Avenue a dozen times since I had moved back to Forks, and I hadn't realized that this building housed a restaurant. The little restaurant had obviously started life as a gas station. The islands where the gas pumps had once stood were still prominent in the parking lot, as were the carport roofs that had once tried to shield them from the rain. The building was painted a festive orange pink kind of sand color with red green and yellow trim. Mike wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked to the door, and he held the door for me as we went in.

The inside was kind of dimly lit with a large chandelier style lighting fixture in the center of the room, while additional light was provided by individual candles in sconces on the tables and booths. The hostess greeted us as we stepped inside, and Mike asked for a booth for two. Mike helped me out of my coat, and hung it up on the coat rack provided by the door. The restaurant wasn't very crowded, and the hostess led us across to a booth along the wall. Mike waited until I was seated, and then slid into the seat across from me. The hostess handed us menus, set a basket of corn chips and a bowl of salsa on the table, and then took our drink order.

I was looking over the menu when the waitress brought our drinks and asked if we were ready to order. I ordered the Pork chimichanga with a chile relleno, and Mike ordered the steak fajitas. I settled back and sipped my Pepsi while we waited for the food to arrive. I don't know why I brought up the subject again, but I was still curious about why Mike was so late last night.

"So, you were fooling around with Jessica after the basketball game last night?" I asked. "I thought you were done with her? Didn't she break up with you?"

"Yeah, she cornered me after I came out of the locker room last night, and wanted to talk. Are you really interested in this, Bella? It seemed to upset you earlier. I don't want you to get mad at me. If you want me to stay away from Jessica, I'm cool with that. We can change our relationship if you want to be more exclusive, but that works both ways."

"No, I'm comfortable with the arrangement we have. I'm just curious about what happened last night. I thought we were going to spend some time together hanging out, but I guess we hadn't really said that. So why did you guys break up in the first place?"

Mike turned a darker shade of pink, and I could swear he was blushing. He seemed embarrassed about what I had asked him, but went ahead anyhow.

"We'd been dating for a while, and I wanted to take our relationship further, but Jessica wasn't ready yet. I guess I tried to push her further than she was willing to go, so she broke up with me."

"You mean you wanted to have sex with her, and she said no."

"She broke up with me. I didn't break up with her because she wouldn't sleep with me."

"No, but I bet you were trying to get into her pants every time you guys went out, and she got tired of you pressuring her into something she didn't want in your relationship."

Mike shrugged. "I've matured since then, and I know better now. We haven't done anything you didn't want to do, have we?"

That was open to interpretation. I never would have gone as far with a guy as I had with Mike if he wasn't kind of pushy and took control of the situation to get what he wanted, but he had stopped when I told him to. The waitress brought our dinner out then, and served the meal. We settled in to eat before I answered mikes question.

"No, I cool with everything we've done so far. So what happened with Jessica last night?"

"You aren't the gossipy type, right? I don't kiss and tell, Bella. I know you wouldn't appreciate me telling people what we do together, and Jessica deserves the same courtesy. I'll talk to you about it if you really want to know, but I don't expect to hear any of this repeated at school, ok?"

"You didn't talk to Jessica about us, did you? She is a gossip, and it would be all over school before you could blink. So you kissed her?"

"I know how Jessica likes to spread stories, I didn't tell her anything. You aren't like that. I know I can talk to you, and you won't spread stories if I ask you not too. Yeah, there was kissing."

"Thanks Mike. Ok, so you kissed her. What else happened?"

"Do you really want all the details, Bella? We talked, and one thing led to another…"

"So did you go as far as we did at New Years?"

"Yeah…"

"Farther?"

"Yeah…"

"How far?"

"She didn't tell me to stop this time like she did before we broke up."

"Oh…"

"You're still cool with this, right? You said we could date other people and still be friends, right? This is what you want, isn't it? I'll stay away from Jessica if you tell me too…"

"No, I said we'd be friends, and I still don't want a boyfriend right now. You used protection, right? I don't want to catch anything from Jessica."

"Yeah, I was careful. I don't want to get her pregnant, and end up paying child support for the next eighteen years."

"So what is Jessica looking for out of this Mike? Does she think you guys are getting back together? What did you tell her? Does she think you're cheating because you're out with me tonight?"

"I didn't make any promises to her last night. She came looking for me. I'm not the first guy she's been with since we broke up. She wanted to see what it would have been like if she hadn't told me no all those times."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, she was dating one of the Cullen's for a while, but they never go out with anyone more than a couple of times. I guess she gave it up to one of them, and then decided to come back and try to get back with me. I'll date her if she's willing, as long as that's cool with you, but I'm not making any commitments."

"Ok."

I think I had created a monster. Mike had it good, and didn't have to make any commitments. Jessica was sleeping with him, and we were dating. It was high school heaven for a guy like Mike, but who was I to complain? I was getting what I wanted out of the relationship, and I didn't have anything to tie me down when I decided to leave. As long as Mike didn't push my limits further than I was willing to go, why rock the boat?

Still, it didn't really feel right to me. I still felt that I needed to find somebody else to go out with besides Mike, or maybe instead of Mike. This was what I'd told him I wanted, but I still wasn't sure, and I didn't really like him sleeping with Jessica. I pushed that aside for now. I couldn't really back out of going out with him tonight without looking like a hypocrite, so I might as well enjoy it and have fun. Besides, what could happen at movie night at Mike's house with his parents there? That had to be safer than going out someplace. We probably would have ended up parking someplace to make out. Of course Mike's car was kind of small, so it would have limited what we could do.

We finished eating, and got the check. Mike paid for dinner, and we went out to his car to drive to his house. Mikes parents owned a one of the big older houses along the river on the north edge of town. He pulled into the garage to park, and came and opened my door for me to help me out of the car. Mike wrapped his arm around my waist to lead me into the house but I tried to move away and take his hand instead. I didn't want to give his parents the wrong idea. I thought it was a little odd that the house was dark when we walked in.

"Why is the house dark, Mike? Are your parent's in bed already? I don't want to disturb them. We could do this another night."

"My parents went to Seattle for the weekend. They left right after Karen left the store this afternoon. It's their date night. They say it keeps their relationship fresh and exciting. They won't be back until tomorrow evening. We have the whole house all to ourselves."

"Oh…" So we were all alone, with the whole house to ourselves… Maybe we should have gone for a drive.

"C'mon, let's go to the family room. We can get comfortable and watch a movie. Would you like something to drink?"

"Umm… sure, what have you got?" I asked as I looked around the room.

The family room was large, and a couple of steps down from the rest of the house. It had hardwood floors and a couple of large plush area rugs that covered most of the floor space. There were a couple of comfortable looking sofas facing a large flat screen TV mounted to the wall. It looked like the room was setup with a home theatre system. There was a built in fireplace along one wall. There were floor length curtains across the back of the room, but they were partially open, and I could see what looked like a covered patio out beyond a sliding glass door.

"Well, we have pop and beer in the fridge or I can get you something stronger from the bar if you like. Name your poison."

"A beer is fine. Hey, Mike, is that a patio out back through those sliding glass doors?"

"Yeah, there's a hot tub out there too, if you'd like to take a dip."

"Uhh… maybe later, it's like thirty-five degrees out there. We'd freeze! I'm gonna step outside and have a cigarette while you get that beer, ok?"

"Sure, Bella, but the hot tub is heated if you want to try it later. I'll be back in a minute."

The patio was actually a wooden deck built across the back of the house where the terrain gently sloped away from the house down to the river. I stepped outside and got a cigarette out of my purse and lit it. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous. Mike had been nice tonight, but I still felt uncomfortable. It was probably because I was really looking for a way to start toning down our relationship and putting some distance between us. Not step it up and go any farther.

I hadn't been expecting to be alone with Mike tonight, and it had caught me off guard. I was afraid that if I held back he'd think it was because of what he'd done with Jessica, and I was punishing him because I was jealous, but I'd been telling him from the beginning that we were just friends. I'd told him it was ok to date other people, but I guess I hadn't really expected him to do it. For some reason I'd thought I'd be the one to date somebody else first and I'd been preparing him to not be jealous about it. Now the shoe was on the other foot, and I had to live up to what I'd told him.

Mike stepped outside and handed me a beer. He was holding a glass with ice and a pale amber liquid in it. I assumed it was the stronger drink from the bar he had mentioned. He sat down in one of the padded chairs at the glass table on the deck. I sipped my beer as I smoked my cigarette.

"You look nervous, Bella. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just thought your parents were going to be home tonight. I wasn't really expecting us to be alone again so soon."

"I'm sorry. I would have said something earlier if I knew this would make you uncomfortable. We've been alone together before, and you didn't seem to mind."

"I know, just give me a minute, and I'll be fine."

"You know, if you'd like something a little stronger than that cigarette to settle your nerves, I can help you out with that too." Mike held up a plastic baggie, and I could make out the shape of a couple of joints in the bag. "You've partied before. I could tell you wanted to when we were out behind the gym before the New Years Eve party. Why didn't you?"

"I used to party when I lived in Phoenix, but I let it get out of hand. I almost got busted for it. I promised Charlie I wouldn't anymore when I moved here. It's his job, and he can't have me get involved in that sort of thing. If I got caught he'd have to throw the book at me, and I'd get zero slack."

"So don't get caught. It's just you and me here. One time isn't going to hurt anything."

"It's never just one time, Mike. That's what I used to tell myself. Then the next time, it's just one more time. Next thing you know you're showing up to school stoned, and then you start skipping classes and missing days because you're too busy getting high. You don't want the teachers to notice that you're high, so you don't go, but guess what, they already know."

"So that's a no?"

"It's a no. I made Charlie a promise, and he's been cutting me an incredible amount of slack. I guess I should try to deserve his trust. You better watch out though. He's keeping an eye on you, and the next time he catches you, you're toast."

I finished my cigarette, and crushed it out in the ash tray on the table. I was about done with my beer too, and Mike noticed.

"Thanks for the warning. Would you like another beer?"

Mikes glass was sitting on the table, and I picked it up and took a sip. It wasn't bad. Stronger, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

"Why don't you get me one of these, and then we'll start the movie."

"Ok."

He got up and we went back inside. I kicked off my shoes and got comfortable on the sofa, and Mike got me my drink. He put in the movie, and then built a fire in the fireplace while the previews were playing. He turned down the lights once the fire was going, and then joined me on the sofa.

Mike wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I snuggled up close into his side and curled my legs up on the sofa as he held me and we sat and watched the start of the movie. I was still holding my drink, and I sipped it as I cuddled with Mike. I handed him the glass when I was done so he could set the glass on the end table.

I was content to simply watch the movie, and enjoy Mike's company as a friend, but I knew he'd expect more from me than that. I would have been happy to let some distance develop between us, but I knew that wasn't going to happen tonight. Not when I was sitting cuddled on the couch all alone with him, especially when his parents were going to be gone all night. I knew it would probably require an extreme effort on my part to not let our relationship go any farther than it already had.

Mike reached for me and gently caressed my cheek with his hand. His fingers stroked my jaw. He took my chin in his hand and turned my head to face him. He leaned into me, and his lips gently brushed against mine. I let him kiss me, and I didn't pull away or say no, but then I just turned back to the movie. I was hoping he'd take the hint and just let it go.

This was different than what had happened on Wednesday night. I felt different, and if I was being honest with myself, I was feeling different because of what had happened between Mike and Jessica. Wednesday, I had been the one that wanted something to happen, and I had been all over him to get things started. It was like we were taking turns taking the lead, and it was Mike's turn again. I wasn't really that into him tonight, but if I told him no then he'd think I was jealous and trying to change the rules on him.

I felt him shift next to me as he leaned into me to kiss the side of my neck. It did feel kind of nice as he kissed up the column of my neck and gently nibbled on my ear lobe. I was here with him now, and I didn't want him to think I was jealous of Jessica. If I wanted more distance between us I would just come up with an excuse the next time he asked me out. I might as well enjoy myself tonight.

His hand was on my hip, and it slid up onto my stomach pushing the hem of my sweater up ahead of it. Mike's fingers slipped inside my sweater, tracing across the tender flesh of my stomach, inching higher.

I turned to look at him as I gazed into his passion hooded blue eyes, and his lips captured mine again. I didn't turn away this time. His lips parted and I felt the tip of his tongue trace across my bottom lip. The movie was forgotten in the background as I let my lips part and the tip of his tongue circled mine. The familiar electricity shot through me and I felt goose bumps break out on my flesh as the tingle shot down my spine.

My arms snaked around Mike's neck and my finger tangled in his hair pulling him closer as our kisses grew deeper and more passionate. It was slick and sweet and velvety. His kisses were harder as his warm lips moved on mine and our tongues tangled and slipped against each other. I lost myself in the moment giving complete attention to the kiss.

I moaned against Mike's lips as his fingers traced up my ribs and his fingers grazed across the edge of bra. His hand rose higher, and then he was cupping my breast through the satiny material of my bra. I moaned again as he gently squeezed, and then his hand was tracing along the fabric reaching behind me. Before I could react, his fingers grasped the clasp with a pinch and twist and released the catch with practiced ease.

I broke the kiss, panting to catch my breath and his warm cheek nuzzled against mine. My hands moved down to caress the hard muscles of his chest and I reached inside his shirt to run my hands across his stomach. He kissed the hollow beneath my ear, and I felt his hot breath against the side of my neck. I lifted the hem of his shirt, tugging on it to pull it up, and then Mike grabbed the hem and pulled it off over his head and dropped it on the floor.

A flurry of frenzied activity followed as my sweater and bra joined his shirt on the floor. His fingers found the button on my jeans as I was opening his belt. His hands were on the waist band of my jeans tugging them down. I raised my hips to let him pull them down over my ass. I was yanking his jeans lower. Our feet were kicking free of the entangling fabric, and then our pants were in the growing pile of discarded clothing at our feet.

One hand was fondling my breast and tweaking my nipple as he moved over me, pushing me back down onto the sofa. His fingers were tracing back and forth across the top of my panties as I settled back onto my elbows on the cushions. His lips found mine again as his chest pressed down onto me, and his tongue swirled around mine.

I gripped his broad shoulders with one hand as my other wrapped around his neck. My fingers tangled into his hair pulling him closer as our tongues danced to the rhythm of our frenzied heart beats. I could feel his hard cock grinding into my thigh through his boxers as he moved between my knees and pressed me down onto the couch beneath him.

His kisses were hot and passionate as his tongue swirled around mine and his hands caressed my body. I was exploring too as my hands moved on his shoulder, the small of his back, his strong chiseled chest, the curve of his tight ass. Time seemed to slip away as we lay on the couch touching each others bodies and making out.

I moaned as his hand slipped under the elastic band of my panties, and his fingers grazed through the sparse curls above my sex. He moved lower stroking me, and his hand cupped my sex, gently squeezing.

His middle finger stroked down the cleft between my lips. Then I gasped as it was sinking into the wetness between my legs. I groaned against his lips as he dragged the wetness higher and circled my clit with his fingertip.

It felt so nice… But I wasn't going to do this tonight. I reached for his wrist to stop him.

I broke the kiss and nuzzled his cheek. "Mike, I don't want to go any farther. I'm not ready for that. I'm not Jessica, ok?"

"Hey, I know, Bella." He said, sounding kind of hurt, "But we've been this far before, and besides, I owe you for the other night. I came, but you didn't get off. Just lie back, and let me make you feel good, ok?"

"You don't have to…" I started, but he was already sliding back down the sofa. I was worried about losing control of the situation. I'd always made sure Mike was taken care of first, so things wouldn't get out of hand, but then the thinking stopped as he touched me again.

He kissed down the column of my neck to the hollow at the base of my throat. His fingers hooked into the elastic band of my panties, and he was pulling them down as he kissed onto my chest. I lifted my hips to let him pull them off as his lips wrapped around my nipple, and he sucked on it for a second before his lips moved lower onto my stomach.

Mike sat up for a minute, scooting back as he pulled my panties down past my knees and off over my feet. I was startled for a second when he raised his own hips, and pushed his boxers down and kicked them off. I felt a little uncomfortable that we were both completely naked on the couch now, but it wasn't like I hadn't seen him before, and then the moment passed as he was pushing my knees apart to kiss down the inside of my thigh.

He was pushing my knees back to spread my legs, and then his strong gentle hands were stroking down the creamy flesh on the insides of thighs. His fingers moved onto my sex spreading my folds exposing my inner lips. I felt his finger tip circle my opening, and then I groaned as tip of his finger pushed into me up to the first knuckle. His finger tip trailed circles around my clitoris and I bucked involuntarily into him as a strangled whimper escaped my lips.

I could feel his hot breath between my legs as he leaned forward and kissed me, and then his hot wet tongue was lapping at my sex. I felt his tongue pressed against me, hot and wet and erotic as electric jolts ricocheted through my pelvis.

His finger sunk deeper into me, and I gasped at the hot wetness as his tongue lapped flat against me from just above where his finger was penetrating me, and then up to the throbbing peak of my clit.

I heard and felt his smooth moan vibrate against my heated flesh. He circled his tongue around my clit, flicking and teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves as it poked out of its hood. He began lapping his tongue up and down between the folds, moving from where his finger pumped into me then back up to circle and tease my clit.

Then he inserted his index finger to join the middle finger already inside of me like he had on Wednesday night. The sensation of fullness was incredible. It was so tight as he pumped his fingers into me. I'd never put so much inside when I was alone touching myself. It felt incredible and I knew it would be even better if it was his cock, but I wasn't ready for that.

Then he curled his fingers upwards finding my sensitive spot at the same moment that his tongue pressed against and over my clit again and my senses exploded. My back arched and a groan of pure bliss escaped at the shocking, glorious pleasure that shot through me. I was loud, but I didn't yell like the other night.

Mike pulled back and I could see the smirk on his face, "You like that, Bella?" He asked with a grin. "I can make you feel even better if you'll let me…"

I reached for his head and tangled my fingers into his hair pulling him back between my legs.

"God… don't stop now! Just keep doing what you're doing…"

He chuckled, and then his head disappeared back between my legs and his glorious tongue went back to work, pushing me closer and closer to the edge.

I was biting my lower lip so I wouldn't scream. I wanted to yell but I groaned loud as I clenched tight around Mike's fingers as he pushed them into me buried deep inside my tight pussy. He pressed his tongue against my clit as it throbbed and pulsed under his touch and I fell off the edge. I felt a flood of wetness, my toes curled against the sofa cushions and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge and my orgasm carried me away…

I was panting hard and I forced myself to take deep breaths to try and calm down as the heavenly bliss spread through me. This was so much better than when I touched myself…

I tried to focus as I came back to reality. I wasn't sure how long I was out of it. Mike's chest was pressed against mine… When had he moved back up the couch over me? He was kissing my neck, but I could still feel him stroking my sex, rubbing back and forth and grinding against my clit. It didn't feel like his hand…

Then it hit me… He was pressing me down into the couch cushions as he lay on top of me between my legs, and was stroked the head of his cock between the folds of my sex with his hand. He was getting it wet in my juices for lubrication, and then I felt the slippery head of his cock press against my opening.

I clenched tight, and tried to push him away. "Mike! No! Stop it! I'm not ready for that!"

"C'mon, Bella. You know you want it. Just relax…" and he tried to push into me, but I held him back.

"Damn it, Mike! I said no! You aren't even using a condom!"

"We don't need one. I know you're on the pill. I saw them in your purse the other day. You got off, now it's my turn."

His hands were under my knees pushing them back, spreading me open. I felt the head of his cock start to push into me and I got angry. I felt the scream building in my throat.

"NO!"

There was a white flash of light, and then Mike was flying backwards across the room. His body impacted against the stone wall next to the fireplace with a solid meaty thud, and there was a sickening crack as his head hit the rough hewn stone. He crumpled to the floor in a heap, and I was suddenly nauseous as my senses were assaulted by the scent of blood.

My first reaction was to curl tightly into a ball on the couch as the mixed emotions flashed through me. I was still feeling a lot of anger that Mike would pull something like this when we'd talked about it, and he knew my boundaries. There was a significant amount of relief that I had stopped him in time and I had a better understanding of what Jessica and Sara had had to put up with while they were dating him. There was a tiny bit of remorse that I had hurt him, but he'd gotten what he deserved.

Part of me still cared about him. He was still my friend even though he'd tried to take advantage of the situation.

The emotion that was growing now was fear. Mike still hadn't moved, and I could smell the blood. It was making me sick to my stomach. Slowly, I started to uncurl from my ball on the couch and peered through my hair at Mike crumpled on the floor by the fireplace. He still hadn't moved. I couldn't tell if he was even breathing.

"Mike? Are you ok?" I called to him softly in a trembling voice, but there was no response. This was bad. I was pissed at him, but I didn't truly want to hurt him. I didn't want him dead; I just wanted him to stop.

I got up off of the couch, and crossed to the fireplace to check him. I was surprised how far he had flown across the room. He must have been going pretty fast to have hit as high on the wall as he had. There was a bloody mark on the stone where his head had hit above the mantle on the wall and more blood where his naked body had slid down the rock wall. The mark on the wall was higher than my head when I stood next to him.

He was still breathing, but just barely. There was a widening red stain on the carpet under his head. He had cuts and scrapes on his back and arms, and his body looked like it would be one large bruise if he made it through this alive. I was afraid to touch him, but I crouched down and gingerly held his limp wrist. I could feel a faint pulse. At least he wasn't dead, but he wasn't in any kind of good shape either. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I needed help, and fast.

I should have called my dad or 911, but how would I explain what had happened? Nobody was going to believe me. Well, one person would. Sara would believe what had happened, and maybe we could figure out what to do. I hurried back to the couch to find my purse and get my phone. I'd make the call first, and then get dressed.

My hands were shaking as I looked for my purse by the couch. I was trying hard not to freak out and lose it. I got the purse open and reached for the phone. I almost screamed when it rang as I was reaching for it and my hand jerked back like it was going to shock me. I took a deep breath, picked it up and flipped it open to check the caller ID.

Now she was calling? Why the hell couldn't she have called five minutes ago? I accepted the call and held the phone to my ear.

"_Don't call Sara_."

"Why not, Alice? And why did you wait until now to call? Five minutes ago would have been better."

"_You hadn't made your decision yet. You could have let him go for it, you know._"

"There was no decision involved…"

"_Yes there was…_"

"OK. We can argue later. Why shouldn't I call Sara, and what the hell am I going to do with Mike?"

"_All Sara will do is help you hide the body and cover up that you were there tonight, but too many people saw you together. I'll be there in five minutes. Don't touch him. His neck is broken, and if you move him before I get there he'll die. We'll fix this, Bella. Get dressed. I'm coming to the back door by the deck. Meet me there._"

"Thanks, Alice. Be careful, he's bleeding."

I hung up the phone and started to sort out my clothes. I was dressed when I heard a knock from the sliding glass door. I walked across the room and pulled the curtain back and Alice was standing outside the glass door. I opened it but Alice didn't come in.

"What are you waiting for? Mike's hurt! I don't know what to do!"

"You have to invite me in, Bella. This is a private residence. I can enter a public place freely, but I can't enter this house if you don't invite me in." Alice said.

"So you can go out in the sun, but you can't come into a house unless you're invited in? Who makes up these rules?"

Alice just rolled her eyes and gestured to the doorway.

"Alice, please come in," I said, and Alice slipped into the room.

"Jeez, Bella, You really need to just pick a nice guy, and give it up already." Alice said as she walked over to look at Mike. "It's just sex. You wouldn't have these issues if you'd just get it over with, you know."

"Gee, thanks, Alice. 'Nice guy' is the operative term there. Apparently I haven't met any yet. I would like to at least be involved in the decision. It's not something I'm gonna let some guy decide for me. What are we gonna do about Mike?"

"Let me see, naked on the couch with his tongue stuck up between your legs, and you're upset because he wants to put his cock there too. You seemed to enjoy it when he made you cum. You picked him, you know. Somebody needs to get her priorities straight." Alice said as she looked Mike over. She hadn't touched him, but she nodded to herself as she spoke.

"Alice, stick to the subject. Is he dead?"

"No, he isn't dead, but he will be if we try to move him too much. I think I can heal him, but I'm a little weak now because I've been resisting feeding. You don't mind if I have a little taste to get my strength up, and then I think I can fix this."

"What! You want to drink my blood! I told you I'm not into that, Alice!"

"Not you, silly. Mike's gonna die anyhow if I can't heal him. Besides I'm gonna have to adjust his memories to make him forget all of this, if he even remembers anything. He'll never miss it, and I need the blood to be able to heal him."

"Oh, ok. What about the blood on the carpet? He hasn't lost too much already, has he? How does this work?"

"Well, I'm not gonna lick it up off the floor. What's on the floor and the carpet is a drop in the bucket. The heart doesn't stop until about forty percent blood loss, so he's got plenty. I need to bite him, preferably in a major artery to feed…"

"Ok…"

"You might want to go in the other room if you're squeamish. It's going to be hard enough cleaning up all of this blood without having to scrub your dinner out of the carpet too, Bella."

"No, I can handle this… How are you going to get to a major artery without moving him?"

"You already moved his arm to check the pulse in his wrist. That'll work. Last chance, Bella." Alice smiled at me showing her too bright white teeth. The vampire movies had it wrong. They always showed the canine teeth as fangs. Her lateral incisor teeth on either side of her two front teeth seemed to grow and extended into fangs in a matter of seconds. I watched in rapt attention as she reached for Mike's forearm and turned his wrist up.

"Just do it already, so we can get on with this."

Alice nodded and lifted his wrist to her lips. Her teeth sank into the flesh and I could see her pulling at the wound as the hot blood flowed into her mouth. It seemed to go on and on as she suckled at the wound in his wrist, and I remembered what Sara had said about her losing control because it had been so long for her.

"Alice…? Are you alright?" She was still drinking and didn't look to be stopping anytime soon.

"Alice! Are you ok?" I yelled and reached for her to shake her. "Don't kill him! Alice stop!" Awareness seemed return to her eyes. I heard her growl deep in her chest, but she flinched back from my outstretched hand, and didn't try to attack me. I saw a shudder flash through her as I jarred her out of her reverie and broke her focus, and then she was pulling away from Mike's arm.

"Thanks, Bella. I almost lost it there. It wouldn't do to end up killing him when I came here to help you."

"Ok… So how do you heal him? Is it like a spell or something?" I asked.

Now Mike had another injury on his wrist where she had bitten him. His wrist was still bleeding, but Alice had her hand clamped onto his arm tourniquet tight above the wound to stop the free flow of blood.

"No, it's more about what we are, and how we exist. Carlisle thinks it has to do with the immortality, and how we regenerate from wounds and damage. We can share that with humans."

Then Alice stopped talking as she reached into her mouth with her index finger. She pricked the tip of it against her razor sharp still fanglike tooth, and a growing drop of crimson blood oozed from the wound. Alice smeared it onto Mike's wrist, and the bite wound started to seal and knit together before my eyes. After a few seconds she wiped the blood away and released his arm. It was healed and there was no sign of the bite mark.

"What so your blood has some kind of super healing property? How does that fix his broken neck? Do you have to inject it into him or something?"

"No, he has to drink it. Once it's in his system, it'll heal all of his wounds."

"He has to drink your blood? Jeez, what is it with you people and blood!"

"Well, I am a vampire after all. It's what we do. It's just how it works, Bella, but it is a little dangerous."

"Dangerous? How?"

"It's kind of like how you become a vampire…"

"What! You're not going to turn him just to save him, are you?"

"No, he won't turn as long as his heart keeps beating. That's how the healing works…"

Alice lifted her forearm to her mouth now, and bit into the flesh on the inside of her wrist with her too sharp teeth. I felt my stomach flip flop as the bright crimson flowed from the wound, but the smell didn't assault my senses like Mike's blood had. She pressed her wrist to Mike's lips. At first there was no reaction, and then I saw his mouth stir as he started to pull at the blood flowing from her wound into his mouth. His strength seemed to increase until he was actively sucking at the blood flowing from her wrist. Alice let him for a minute, and then pulled her arm away.

"So, that's how it works? It's all about the blood? What would happen if his heart stopped? Would he turn into a vampire?"

Alice sighed. "Yeah, I'm not supposed to talk about it, but you've seen this much… This is how you turn somebody. Our blood heals and we can share our ability to regenerate by giving it to humans. As long as the heart keeps beating, your life force controls the healing. It follows the human DNA map. If your heart stops beating, the blood still heals you, but the bloods life force controls the healing. It follows the vampire DNA map in the blood and changes your body and organs so you wake up as a vampire. It's not a pleasant process."

"So what about Mike? How long is he in danger of turning? What if he slipped and hit his head, or got hit by a bus? Would he turn into a vampire?"

"Yeah, if his heart stopped with my blood in his system, he'd turn. He should be safe in about twenty-four hours, though."

"Has that ever happened? Somebody you were trying to heal got turned by accident?"

"Well, not to me personally, but it happened to Carlisle once, a long time ago. There was an epidemic, and he was experimenting to see if he could use our blood to try and cure the disease. He tried it on a patient that was close to death and was too far gone already. He wasn't as familiar with the mechanics of the change back then, and thought the patient had died when his heart stopped…"

"Oh my god. What happened?"

"Well, you can imagine his chagrin when he came back to the hospital for his next shift, and found the patient writhing in agony under a sheet in the morgue. Luckily they were so understaffed that they hadn't cremated the body yet and nobody else had noticed that he wasn't dead anymore. Carlisle realized what was happening, and stole him from the hospital to take him home with him."

"Him? Who…"

"Not even allowed to say anymore, Bella, so don't even ask."

"Fine… You know it's really exasperating when you start these stories and then stop at the best part!"

"You know you love me. Speaking of lovers, c'mon, Mike's coming around. Let's get him into his bedroom, and then I can adjust his memories."

"Can we move him already? It works that fast?"

"The worst injury heals first. He should be ok as long as we don't jostle him around too much."

I looked down at Mike and realized he was starting to softly moan and stir. Alice grabbed him under the knees and I hooked my arms under his and picked up his shoulders. He was heavier than he looked but I used a TK field to assist and just made it look like I was trying to carry him down the hall. I could tell Alice was ogling his naked form as we looked for his bedroom.

"So what are you going to make him remember?" I asked as I found the room and pushed the door open with my foot.

"What do you want him to remember? You know you could just climb in bed with him and finish what you started. Maybe he's a little too pushy, but he isn't half bad looking, and he is rather nicely endowed in the male department. He's got nothing on Jasper, but he'd give you a good time…"

"Don't even go there Alice…"

I wasn't even trying to pretend to be holding Mike up with my hands now, but I kept one hand under his shoulder to keep track of him. I gestured to the bed with my other hand to pull the covers down out of the way. I levitated Mike into bed and the covers slid up to cover him.

"How much can you make him remember or forget?"

"At this point, after everything that's happened and the head wound, I can pretty much rewrite whatever I want."

"Ok. So can you make him forget about everything I've done with him since I came to Forks?"

"Yeah, I guess so… I thought you liked him?"

"I do, but he fucked Jessica after the basketball game Friday night. He want's to go out with both of us now. I'd rather just be friends. I've said all along that I wasn't looking for a boyfriend. This whole thing has gotten out of hand. I never should have gone as far as I did that night at the dance. I might go out with him again as friends, but let's roll this back to first kiss territory, ok? Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I think I can do most of that, at least no naked Bella and Mike or oral sex. I'll have to leave the make out sessions in, but I can tone them down a lot. Of course he's gonna wonder why your dad is such a hard ass to him now. Give me a minute to work on this. Why don't you go see about cleaning up the family room while I mess with his memories?"

I nodded and went back down the hall as Alice lay down on the bed next to Mike and started whispering in his ear. There was a lot of blood on the floor, despite what Alice had said. It was soaked into the carpet and the hard wood next to it, not to mention the bloody stain on the wall. I thought about going to the kitchen to look for cleaning supplies, but it would be hard to make this look like nothing had happened. Then I had a thought.

I remembered the shards of glass from the candle holder in Sara's bedroom. She'd gathered them all together with magick when she was showing me how to use the telekinesis powers and dumped them in the garbage. She kept telling me I needed to make magick a part of my life. She kept saying all of the TK abilities were just variations on a theme, and depended on my imagination.

I reached out with the field of blue threads and let it feel the blood on the floor. The threads seemed to latch onto the blood, and I imagined it all gathering together. The field expanded and the blood stain in the carpet started to recede as the stains gathered into a smaller and deeper puddle, and then finally a small crimson sphere encased in the tracery of blue threads. I extended my hand to the blood stains on the stone, high on the wall, and the stains lifted off of the stone and merged into the crimson sphere.

Now I just had to figure out how to get rid of it. There was a sink in the wet bar, and I moved the crimson sphere into the drain and let it go. I turned on the faucet and washed it down the sink, and then turned to see about picking up the clothes and glasses. I jumped, startled to see Alice standing in the doorway staring at me with a barely concealed look of awe.

"What?" I asked a little defensively, and Alice schooled her expression.

"You just keep surprising me, Bella. I expected to come in here and find you down on your hands and knees with a rag, but I guess you did a better job that I thought you would. That was really amazing."

"I'm not amazing, Alice. I'm just learning, and I'm dangerous. Mike would be dead now if it wasn't for you. I almost killed him 'cause I lost control."

I quickly gathered up Mike's clothes and tossed them into his room. I looked at him in bed, and he appeared to be sleeping soundly. Alice had the rest of the family room cleaned up when I got back.

"What's Mike going to remember when he wakes up, Alice?" I asked.

"You went to dinner, had some drinks, and watched a movie. A little chaste high school make out session on the sofa, but you told him no when he tried to touch your breast through your sweater. You slapped him and walked out, and I came and picked you up. He had too much to drink, and went to bed drunk."

"Ok. So don't I need to go out the front door so people see me leave?"

"Yeah, go on. I parked around the block. I'll meet you out front."

Alice slipped back out the back door, and I locked the sliding door behind her. I grabbed my coat and purse and walked to the front door. Alice pulled up in her yellow Porsche, and I went out and got into the passenger seat.

"Thanks for coming over to help me, Alice. I don't know what I would have done without you…"

"You would have called Sara, and the two of you'd be dumping Mike's body in a shallow grave in the forest right about now."

"God, Sara… She's going to go ballistic when she finds out about this… Mike pulled the same shit with her, but he got away with it that time. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to come back and finish the job…"

"You can't tell Sara about this, Bella."

"How can I not tell Sara about this? You know what she does, right? All she has to do is touch me, and she'll know everything…"

"Huh, some kind of teacher, she is. What, she just tells you what she wants you to know? You don't have to tell her anything, Bella, and yeah, I know about her ability. You're powerful enough to shield against her. You can pick and choose which memories she sees, or none at all if you don't want to show her anything. She should have told you that in the beginning when she became your teacher."

"I can block her out? How is that possible and why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Bella, you just pulled a blood stain out of a carpet and dumped it in the sink across the room. You're awesome. As far as blocking her, Edward can't get a read on you, and he can read anyone so you should be able to block her out if you put your mind to it. You have natural talent at shielding abilities. Didn't Sara tell you?"

"I've only been training with her for a couple of days, Alice. I don't know enough yet to even know what questions to ask."

"But I've seen you do so much already…"

"What can I say? Apparently, it's just natural talent and a couple of simple tricks Angela and Sara taught me. I've always been a quick study."

"I've seen people train their whole lives, and not have a tenth of the ability you've shown me in the last couple of days, Bella. That's an awful lot of natural talent and raw ability. As far as the shielding thing is concerned, that's what you do. You know… your talent that you're good at. I know you can shield her. Put your mind to it and you'll figure it out."

"Umm, thanks. That's so helpful. Where are we going, Alice?" I knew we weren't driving to my house, we'd passed the turn, and I was pretty sure she knew where I lived.

"It's still early, and I need a cigarette and a drink after that. There's a place downtown I know…"

"Alice, I can't go to a bar! I'll get carded, and if Charlie found out, he'd throw a fit. I'm not opposed to a drink, but this is a small town."

"What, and I look over twenty-one to you? Don't worry, you won't get carded. You just need to know the right places to go, and who to talk to. I've been doing this for a long time, Bella."

"Isn't that 'contributing to the delinquency of a minor'?" I asked with a smirk. "Are you leading me astray and corrupting my innocence, Alice?"

"Vampire, hello." Alice rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Innocent my ass, you could probably teach me a thing or two about partying. I'm just better at not getting caught, which is something you need to learn."

We turned onto Forks Avenue, and went down a couple of blocks. We were a block or two past the school when Alice turned off onto a side street and pulled into a parking lot. It looked like a bowling alley, and there were quite a few cars in the parking lot. I recognized some of them from the lot at school.

"Isn't this a little public, Alice? I thought we were getting a drink?"

"Public is good. People need to see you out and about, or they'll think you're some kind of anti-social recluse. 'Course if the kids from school see us alone together enough, they might start to think you're hitting from both sides of the plate."

"What! Definitely not my thing, Alice! I'm into guys. Jeez, what is it with you people? First Charlie, and now you too… Do I give off some kind of vibe like I'm into girls?"

"No, you don't have to get so defensive, Bella. I was just making an observation. Besides, you know it's not really that bad, and fun sometimes to try new things."

I just stared, wide eyed as Alice parked the car. She looked at me, and burst out laughing.

"Jeez, Bella, I'm not propositioning you. Relax. You just need to keep an open mind. Kids these days…"

She got out of the car, and after a minute, I got out and followed her to the door. We walked inside, and there were some kids from school bowling. Alice led me back to the lounge and we walked back into the darker less crowded section, away from prying eyes and ears. We sat down at a secluded booth in the back corner, and a waitress came over to get our order. She seemed to know Alice, but glanced at me a little apprehensively.

"Hey, Alice, What can I get you tonight?" The waitress asked.

"I'll have my usual, Abby, and bring one for Bella, too."

The waitress, Abby, glanced at me again, and then looked back at Alice. "Is she ok? I don't want any trouble." She didn't bother to ask for my ID, and she obviously knew who I was. If my dad heard about this it could cause trouble for them.

"Don't worry, Abby. Bella is cool. There won't be any trouble."

Abby nodded and left to get our drinks. I didn't know what the 'usual' was, but it was obviously something I normally wouldn't be able to order here. Alice took out a cigarette and lit it. It caught my attention, I wanted one too, but I wasn't used to people smoking indoors.

"Is that alright in here?" I asked, nodding to the cigarette she was smoking.

Abby came back with our drinks, set them on cocktail napkins in front of us, and then walked away. It looked like a normal enough glass of pop. I picked it up and took a sip. Rum and coke like we had on new years, but stronger, and a bigger glass than last Sunday night, I'd have to be careful with this.

"Alright, yes, strictly legal in this day and age, probably not. It's why there's an ash tray on the table, Bella."

I looked down at the table, and noticed the small glass ash tray in front of Alice. I supposed they wouldn't put them out on the tables if they didn't expect you to use them. I took out a cigarette and lit it too. God, I needed one after everything I'd been through tonight. Alice was still talking.

"I really can't believe how much attitudes and public opinion have changed in the last couple of decades. Back in the forties and fifties, everybody smoked. Hell, one of the duties of the bagboy at the grocery store was the sweep up the cigarette butts in the aisle ways. There weren't any non-smoking areas. Now people give you dirty looks if you smoke too close to the doorway. It's getting so you can't even smoke in a bar anymore, and it's hard enough finding a decent bar that doesn't card without outrageous tips."

"Umm, smoking isn't going to kill you, Alice."

"Oh don't give me that crap. It didn't used to kill you guys either, until the damn technocracy decided it should be harmful to your health. I've got nothing against technology, mind you, but the jerks that run that show meddle too much. You know they made smoking hurt you guys just to get at us. Besides, you don't seem to be too worried that it'll kill you."

"I have no allusions to living forever. You know what they say, 'the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long'. I'd rather burn out than fade away."

"We'll see about that," Alice muttered under her breath. She didn't think I heard her.

"So why did the technocracy decide to make smoking kill people?"

"To humans tobacco is just a mildly addictive drug that relaxes you and is pleasurable for a variety of reasons. We get all the same benefits, but it makes our thirst more manageable and helps us to control our other urges too. We need it to make it easier to fit in with humans, so by making smoking less socially acceptable, it's easier to spot us."

"You seem to fit in pretty easily Alice. I never would have figured it out if I hadn't noticed your eyes, but that's just me."

"That's why there's still so many of us around, Bella. If we stood out, we would have been hunted down and eliminated a long time ago. Besides, we aren't so much a thorn in their side as long as we actively maintain the secret. If we were trying to go public or something we'd be a bigger priority"

"So how exactly does that work, Alice? Why are there so many of you? Well, I guess I don't really know how many of you there are, but I ran into a group of three down in Phoenix, and there are the seven of you here in Forks of all places. That's more than I would have ever believed existed in my wildest dreams. You don't have babies, for the most part, and you said children like you rarely survive. How do your numbers increase if you aren't driven to procreate through sex?"

"I did imply that children like me are rare, didn't I, but I suppose that's a rather recent development. In ancient times it was much more common for the children to survive, but then there were open communities of my kind then when more of the mythical world still existed."

"Now we reproduce primarily by recruiting from the human population, but it's still uncommon. Sometimes humans that learn about us want to be like us, and find somebody to turn them…"

"Whoa, hold the phone! You're not serious, are you? There are people that honestly want that? No offense, Alice, but somebody would actually choose to live like this?"

"Don't act so shocked, Bella. People are actually willing to pay for the privilege. A lot in fact. Immortality and eternal youth is a big draw for some folks, once you get past the downside about the blood and being constantly hunted. My family has never done that, but there are some who do."

"Ok, I can see that, I guess."

"The most often used excuse to turn somebody besides exorbitant sums of money is loneliness. Large groups of our kind are very rare. My family is probably the second largest group of our kind that lives together. Most are alone or live in pairs. Your group of three in Phoenix is an anomaly, and they probably had some reason or circumstance that made them work together."

"Why do you all stay together then?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you."

"Ok… So what did you mean about loneliness then?"

"When you've been alone long enough, maybe centuries, and you don't have anyone to really talk to, when people that you make friends with get old and die, some of us are driven to create a companion. The irony is that these relationships don't always last and often they eventually part company. In time the process repeats, but now each creates a companion, and so on. We don't die unless somebody kills us, so it leads to slow but gradual growth."

"Your family doesn't seem to follow that pattern."

"No, what we have is another alternative. We've all found our mates for the most part."

"Your mates? You mean like falling in love and getting married?"

"Kind of, but it's much more permanent for us. There's no divorce in our pairings. When one of us falls in love, it causes permanent changes. We don't fall out of love. Our brains and bodies don't work that way. When we find that one special person in our lives, we're together for the rest of our existence, permanently."

"Wait, what about the other person? Sure, you might fall in love, but what about them? What if they don't feel the same way about you?"

"Then you haven't found your mate. When it's the right person, you both know, and can feel it. It's a mutual attraction."

"Sounds like magick to me. What if you don't like this person?"

"It's not some kind of magick that overrides your freewill, Bella. It starts off with love like any other relationship. It just develops into something more for us."

"What about dating other people? All of you go out on dates and have relations with other people. I still don't see how you can do that and say you're totally committed to this 'mate' of yours."

"That has nothing to do with love, Bella. That's more about dinner and survival. Would you rather that we picked some hapless victim, dragged them off into a dark alley to drain their blood, and then hid the corpse after we killed them to cover up what happened? Isn't it better to invite them to dinner, show them a good time, maybe make out, have sex, and then alter their memories so all they remember is the good time?"

"You know, there still are those out there that practice the first alternative, the traditional vampires. Then there are the sadistic ones that enjoy the rape and torture. I think our alternative is a win-win situation for everyone involved. We only choose willing partners, unlike your friend, Mike. We just don't let them remember all the details."

"You don't like dating other people, Alice; you said so the other day."

"I like murdering them even less. You know, we make a pretty good team, Bella. Maybe you can find some more guys to not have sex with and knock them over the head. Then I'll fix things and have a snack for my trouble."

"Ha ha, Alice, I don't think so, but thanks for bailing me out tonight."

"No problem. That's what friends are for."

"So all of you have mates?"

"Not all of us."

"Except for Edward then, right? Why doesn't he have a mate?"

"I don't know, Bella. I guess he hasn't found the right girl yet. He hasn't really been looking."

"He hasn't been looking? He's the biggest player in school, Alice. He's gone out with most of the eligible girls in the whole school!"

"He dates, Bella, but like I said, it's not about love most of the time."

"He asked me out, Alice. What was that? Snack time?"

"That's something you'll have to work out with him. He was hurt a long time ago. He did something stupid, and he's been letting it tear him up ever since. I think he might finally be ready to move on, if he found the right girl."

I wasn't stupid. I knew what Alice was trying to imply. I wasn't ready to go there yet, but that didn't mean I wasn't willing to explore my options.

"How can I work anything out with him if he isn't around? We didn't really get off to a good start on Wednesday, and he didn't come to school on Thursday or Friday. He left town, didn't he."

"He thought it was for the best after how he acted the other day in school. He told you he'd remove himself from your presence. He never does things halfway."

"I didn't mean to drive him from his home and family, Alice. I overreacted. I was freaked out after what happened with James. I thought Edward was the same way. I'd be willing to be friends, or at least talk about what happened if he'd like."

"I'll give him a call and let him know, but I doubt he'll show up soon. He's only just arrived at our cousin's home in Alaska."

"Vampires have cousins? How does that work?"

"Well, we like to think of them as cousins. Extended family actually, Carlisle has known them for ages. He knew them before any of us were even created or a part of his life. We all lived together for a while, but there were too many of us in one place to fit in easily. We were visiting with them before we moved to Forks."

"And Edward ran back to them when I drove him away…"

"It wasn't just you, Bella. Edward was mortified that he had acted in such a reprehensible manner. We don't do that, ever. He just went against everything that we've come to believe in. He completely ignored our personal code of conduct, and went against everything that Carlisle teaches and believes in without giving it a second thought. He had to leave, because he couldn't figure out why he let that happen."

"Alice, you fiddle with peoples memories all the time. What was so different this time?"

"We change memories after the fact to protect our secret, and we might use a little compulsion for harmless things. Getting a better table in a restaurant, changing our schedule at school, getting out of a speeding ticket, but we don't use our abilities to get people to go out with us or perform personal physical acts that they wouldn't do voluntarily. Like I said, we don't have to most of the time. What Edward did was as shocking to himself as it was to all of us."

"So why did he try it with me then?"

"That's what we'd all like to know. We have some theories, but before you even ask, I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to wait and talk to Edward if you're interested in figuring that one out."

"You're just telling me all of this so I'll be curious, and want to talk to him."

"Um hum. Is it working?"

"Alice! That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war. Hopefully the war is over and we can move on to the good stuff."

"Don't hold your breath."

"I don't need to breathe. I can hold my breath for a long time."

"Fine. I'll talk to him. But I'm not going out with him if this is just about the blood. I'm nobody's personal energizer bunny, and there will be no biting involved. If he's interested in being friends and getting to know me as a person, then I might consider a date."

Alice literally squealed, and was practically bouncing in her seat. She had altogether too much energy tonight. Maybe it was a side effect of finally getting a shot of human blood after as long as she'd been holding out. I slipped my phone out of my purse and checked the time. Almost curfew, we'd have to leave soon if I was going to get home on time.

"Finish your drink, Alice," I said as I downed the rest of mine and crushed out my cigarette butt. "I have to get home before Charlie sends out a search party."

Alice left cash on the table to pay our tab. It was a lot more than I would have expected, but I suppose she was paying to have them look the other way and not card us. We got up and walked out to her car so she could drive me home.

"That's right, you have a curfew. Want me to talk to Charlie and get him to lighten up?"

"No, I don't mind. He just wants to know where I am. He's looking out for me. He hasn't had much of an opportunity to do that while I was growing up. You know, I know Charlie knows, but he doesn't know I know he knows." Alice seemed to follow that, but it even sounded confusing to me, and I said it. She seemed startled at first that I knew about Charlie, but she didn't comment.

"He's not going to be pleased if Edward wants to date me." I continued. "In fact he told me to stay away from him. How much does Charlie really know about your family? It looks like he's one of the hunters. Why does he cut you guys so much slack?"

"Your dad knows pretty much everything. Maybe not as many details as you do, but he knows what we are and how we live. He's worked with Carlisle and the guys to hunt down some nomads that passed through the area before. He knows we aren't the bad guys, but he doesn't completely trust us."

"Nomads?"

"Traditional vampires that hunt people. They can't stay in one place for very long or the body count becomes noticeable so most of them are constantly on the move. We don't eat people, and we don't think anyone should, so we help out when they pass through."

"Huh, that's what Sara said. Well, Edward has his work cut out for him getting Charlie to be ok with this. I kind of promised my dad that he could meet anyone I was going to go out with. I'd really prefer not to start lying to him now."

"Why would Charlie be worried about you going out with Edward? You can obviously take care of yourself…"

"Charlie doesn't know what I can do Alice. He doesn't know that I can use magick. I'd like to keep it that way for now."

"But if Charlie doesn't know… He'll think you're an ordinary defenseless girl that Edward wants to date."

"Yeah, and Edward has a certain reputation…"

"You're not making this easy, Bella!" Alice complained as she pulled up in front of the house.

"All's fair in love and war, Alice. Figure it out. Now I need to get some sleep before we go shopping in the morning. Good night, Alice, and thanks again for helping with Mike." I got out of the car and walked up to the house.

Charlie was still up watching some sports show on the TV when I walked in. He was trying to look casual, but I could see the look of surprise on his face, and the curtains were still fluttering where he'd been peeking out before he sat back down.

"Hi, Bells," Charlie called to me. "I thought you had a date with that Newton kid tonight?"

"I went to dinner with Mike, dad. So how was La Push?"

"It was fine… How come Mike didn't drive you home? Was that Alice Cullen? You seem to be spending an awful lot of time with her…"

I supposed I might as well get this over with. I didn't really want to hear 'I told you so', but it would probably make Charlie feel better.

"Mike and I argued tonight. Alice came and picked me up. She's a good friend… We talked."

"What did that little jerk do? You know, you could have called me…"

"That wouldn't have solved anything, dad. I told you, I'm a big girl now. I can handle Mike. I think we're still friends, but I need to cool this off for a while. Take things slower. Maybe go out with some different guys…"

"What guys?"

"I don't know dad. I'm just saying… Nobody else has asked me out…" which wasn't exactly true, but I said no that time. "I didn't want a boyfriend when I moved here, and I still don't. I'll just take it one day at a time. Ok?"

"That's fine, Bells." Charlie didn't need to sound so relieved. "Just concentrate on school for a while, and let things sort themselves out."

"Sure. Goodnight, dad. I'm going to bed. Alice is picking me up early to go get Sara."

"I really don't like you spending so much time with Alice Cullen, Bella…"

"We've been through this before Charlie." I doubted he'd say anything, but it was worth a shot. "You seem to think pretty highly of the doctor and his wife. Is there something in particular you'd like to tell me about Alice? Why don't you want me to spend time with her? She seems perfectly nice to me, and she's been a good friend since I moved here. You know you don't get a veto, but if there's something I need to know, I'll consider it?"

You know, something like, 'Alice is a vampire, and she's not a good role model for you', or 'she just wants you for your blood'. He'd never say it, but I did wonder what he'd come up with.

"I… I… I don't approve of their lifestyle." Charlie finally stammered out, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Could you be more specific, dad? That's not much to go on."

"I don't care for their… dating habits."

"You need to be more open minded, dad. I like Alice, and I'm not going to stop being her friend because you don't like who she goes out with. I thought you got along with Jasper? It isn't just because they live together too, is it? That's kind of small town, dad."

"No! That's not what I meant. Jasper's fine. It's just all the other kids..." He stopped short, like he was saying too much. "I just don't like it. Good night, Bella." He turned back to his TV, the conversation apparently over.

I started up the stairs. "You're gonna have to do better than that, dad. Alice is my friend. 'Night," and I went up to get ready for bed. I could feel Charlie's eyes follow me as I went up the stairs.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i

I got up early on Sunday morning and ran through my morning routine. I would have liked to sleep in later. It was Sunday after all, but we had a two hour drive to Aberdeen, and the mall closed early today. Walmart was open twenty-four seven, so we could save that for last, but all the stores in the mall would closed by five.

I showered, took my pill and got dressed. I fixed my makeup and straightened out the room, and went down stairs to see about breakfast. I didn't want anything fancy, and stuck a pop tart in the toaster. I wanted to grab a cup of coffee, but the pot was empty, so I started a fresh pot. Charlie's cruiser was still in the driveway when I looked out the window. I was surprised he was still home and not off someplace fishing, but he was nowhere in sight. I assumed he was in the basement again.

The doorbell rang, and I walked out to answer it. I heard the basement door open behind me, but I didn't pay attention. I knew it was just Charlie coming up to answer the door. I assumed it was Alice at the door to pick me up, but I wasn't going to leave until I'd had my coffee.

I opened the door and Alice was standing on the porch. I felt Charlie walk through the kitchen doorway behind me.

"Bella is almost ready," Charlie called across the room. "She'll be out in a minute, Alice."

"Oh don't be silly, dad. I haven't even had my coffee yet, and I just started a fresh pot. Come on in, Alice. We can leave after we've had a cup of coffee. Would you like a pop tart?"

Alice walked into the house with the ghost of a grin on her lips, and I could tell she was looking past me at Charlie. I closed the door behind her, and turned to follow her into the kitchen. Charlie looked like he was having some kind of seizure. His jaw was clamped shut, and his face was bright red. I could tell he was breathing furiously through his nose, and the vein in his forehead was standing out throbbing. He looked totally pissed off, but was trying to hold it in, and didn't want to say anything.

"Coffee sounds good, Bella, but I don't know if a pop tart is on my diet. Maybe I'll just have a taste of yours if you don't mind. 'Morning, Charlie."

"Dad? Are you alright? Shouldn't you be fishing somewhere?" I asked. God, he looked like he was gonna blow a gasket and have a stroke or a heart attack if he didn't get a hold of himself and calm down.

His mouth opened like he was going to speak, but he just took a couple of deep breaths and his mouth snapped shut again. He finally started to calm down as we walked toward the kitchen.

"I'm fine." Charlie said, but he didn't act fine, he acted like he was pissed off. I didn't get it. He was nice enough to Alice last week when we had run into her and Jasper at the diner. Then it hit me.

I had invited her in.

She was standing next to me inside the house as we walked to the kitchen. Charlie had probably been counting on the fact that none of the Cullen's could enter the house without being invited in. Alice said he didn't fully trust them. I could tell he wanted to be mad, but he couldn't because he couldn't tell me why he was mad. We walked past him into the kitchen.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, dad?" I asked as I walked to the counter, and got cups out of the cabinet.

"No, I'm fine." Charlie said. It wasn't like him to be indecisive, but he was hovering in the doorway. It was like on the one hand he wanted to go back downstairs, but on the other he didn't want to leave me alone with Alice.

Alice turned to him. "Jasper said to tell you that there aren't any new developments in that matter you were discussing last week." I knew what Jasper would be working with Charlie on now.

"What matter was that, Alice?" I asked innocently as I set the cups on the table. I added milk and sugar to mine, but Alice just picked hers up black and sipped it.

"That's part of an ongoing police investigation, Bella. I'll have to ask you to stay out of it, and not get involved." Charlie said. He didn't exactly glare at Alice, but he didn't seem pleased that she'd brought it up either.

"Why are Alice and Jasper involved in your official ongoing investigation then, dad? Neither of them work for the police, do they?"

"No, they don't work for the police, but they have expert knowledge in this matter, and Jasper made the initial report. That's all I can say, Bells. I'm sorry."

"You know, you can tell me, dad. I'm not a little girl anymore, and you don't have to keep trying to protect me all the time. I can handle the truth."

Charlie's eyes narrowed and he looked at me and then glanced over at Alice. The term poker face must have been coined to describe how she looked as she sat there sipping her coffee. She didn't give up anything.

"Maybe someday, Bella, but this is need to know information, and you don't need to know." He was looking at Alice when he said that. The message was pretty clear. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I told you."

Alice set her cup down on the table. "C'mon, Bella, we better get going. Sara is going to wonder what happened to us."

I finished my coffee, and collected the cups to wash them out.

"Don't worry about that, Bella. I'll get it. What time are you girls going to be home?"

I turned to Alice. "You're driving, when are we going to be home?"

"Well, we have our work cut out for us from what Sara was saying, but we can only fit so much into the Porsche. We'll probably get dinner in Aberdeen before we head back. I'll make sure she's home before curfew, ok Charlie?"

"Really, that long?" Charlie asked dumbstruck.

I was feeling a little green at the prospect as well. I could imagine how sore my feet would be after trying to keep up with Alice all day. I brightened a little as I realized I wouldn't be on my feet all day with a little judicious use of magick. I mentally thanked Sara again for showing me how to move. Then Charlie turned to me.

"How are you going to pay for all of this?" He asked.

"I have some money in savings," I said a little defensively, "but I doubt if most of the stores will take an out of state check. I'm not really sure… I hadn't given it much thought."

"I thought you were saving up to buy a car?"

"I am, but I can't keep wearing the same three shirts to school. Some new jeans wouldn't hurt either. I need some things…"

"Don't worry, Bella." Alice chimed in. "I can charge it and you can just pay me back."

Charlie reached for his wallet, got out his credit card, and handed it to me. "Don't go crazy, and I want to see the receipts. We'll discuss how much you have to pay back later. I'll pop for the school clothes and necessities. You can pay me back for the extras and frills."

"Thanks, dad," I managed to get out as Alice was dragging me toward the door.

"Alice, you be good…" Charlie said as a look of worry clouded his expression. "You take care of my little girl."

"Don't worry, Charlie. Bella will be just fine. She's my best friend."

I saw a shudder pass through Charlie as she spoke, and it only seemed to worry him more. Then the door shut, and we were down to the curb and getting into her car. We drove to Sara's house, and she was coming down to the curb before Alice shut off the engine.

I guess I was on now. Alice said I could block Sara's ability, and she didn't want Sara to know what had happened last night. I wasn't really sure why, but I'd play along if that's how Alice wanted it. I got out of the car when we stopped so Sara could move the passenger seat forward and climb into the backseat.

"Hey, Sara," I said as she climbed in. She nodded to me and slid into the backseat.

"'Mornin, Sara." Alice said when she was settled in the back.

"Good morning," Sara replied. "So how did your date go with Mike last night?" Sara asked.

She leaned forward and laid her hand on my shoulder, but immediately jerked her hand back like she'd been shocked.

"That's not fair, Alice." Sara complained with a petulant disgruntled tone as she sat back against the seat. "You get to see everything, and none of us can block you out."

"Bella can block me out if she wants to, but so far my abilities have done nothing but help her. You should have told her she can shield you, Sara. I just thought she should know. The rest was up to her."

"What? So it worked? You couldn't read me?" I exclaimed, startled. "Umm, the date went ok I guess. Dinner was nice, and then we went back to his place to watch a movie. Mike tried to get fresh and I slapped him. I think we're still friends, but I'm gonna let things cool off for a while." I lied to cover for Alice.

"Fresh, huh? With Mike, that means he probably tried to get into your pants, but he's already been there. There wasn't much left to do but go all the way, so I take it you had to fight him off?"

"Umm… something like that. I really blocked you?" I asked to change the subject.

"Yes, I couldn't read you, but you didn't need to shock me too."

"Oh… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to. I just thought about the time I collapsed Edward's spell at the dance, and kind of put it on automatic I guess. Alice said he could read everyone, so I figured that's what the network of silver threads was…"

"You could see that?" Sara asked, shocked.

"Umm, yeah, I see that whenever I'm around him, but it didn't look like he could read Angela or the others either. I think I hurt him too when I accidentally collapsed his network…"

"You did," Alice chimed in, "but he got over it."

"Stronger developed auras naturally disrupt his ability," Sara continued, "but he can still get at least a surface read if he concentrates on them."

"Alice said he couldn't read me at all. She said I have natural talent as a shield."

"I suppose that's a pretty accurate description of what you do," Sara said. "Your aura is so powerful it naturally disrupts magick around you. The same way it let you see through Alice's glamour."

"If it naturally disrupts magick, then how come you could still read me, Sara?"

"Because I was touching you before. You could say that I was reaching through your aura and bypassing the interference, but the adjustment you made is preventing me from making a connection now."

"Hmm… Let me see." I concentrated for a couple of seconds, focusing on my aura and how I had set up the blocking field. "Ok, try touching me again, Sara."

She leaned forward and gingerly extended a finger to touch my shoulder, and then she laid her hand on my shoulder. She sat back against the seat with huff and a look of exasperation on her face.

"Nope, nothing, Bella. What did you do?"

"Good… uh sorry, Sara. I realized I was sending a feedback pulse when you touched me. When I collapsed Edward's network, I accidentally sent warding energy back through the thread. That's what hurt him and collapsed the network, but I realized I didn't need to send the pulse of energy when you said it shocked you."

Alice changed the subject then to talk about fashion and shopping, and we discussed lighter topics for the rest of the trip to Aberdeen. We had agreed to go to the mall first since it would close earlier. I would have preferred to just go to Walmart first and buy what I needed there, but Alice was chagrined at the thought, and Sara backed her up. Alice wasn't overjoyed at the thought of having to shop at JC Penny and Sears to begin with, while I thought they were overpriced and that the things at Walmart were just as nice from my point of view.

Alice just muttered about taking me to Seattle for a real shopping trip, and found a parking place inside the parking structure at the mall.

I wasn't totally opposed to the idea of shopping. I really did need some things, but I was never one to spend hours going from shop to shop trying things on just to see how they looked. I generally knew what I wanted, and just went and bought it, shopping done, leave and go home. I had a feeling this was going to be a different kind of experience.

Ok, it was the shopping trip from hell. I hadn't even seen the outside of the dressing room for the last two hours, and Alice and Sara just kept bringing me things to try on. I'd never played dress up as a child, and I truly didn't see the appeal as they had me stand in front of the mirror and turn this way and that in all of the different outfits. I might not have minded so much if they were bringing me things that I would realistically imagine my self possibly wearing in a million years.

I looked at Alice in horror as she came bouncing into the dressing room with the next load.

"Don't even try to hand that to me, Alice!" I exclaimed with real menace in my voice as I looked at the dress on the top of the stack in her arms. "I'll play along and let you guys have your fun, but I don't wear pink! Why the hell am I trying on dresses anyhow?"

Alice looked hurt and tried to give me the lost puppy dog eyes, but I wasn't buying it. She was really pushing it with the frilly pink dress. I was going to have to put my foot down or they'd just run over me and get me things I'd never wear. She relented and hung the dress on the return rack with a wistful look in her eyes and then turned back to me.

"A girl should have some dresses to choose from, Bella. You only own three skirts."

"That's because I don't wear skirts and dresses, Alice…"

"That would have been considered scandalous when I was a girl. You know women didn't even start wearing pants regularly until the sixties, and then it was just the daring ones that wanted to be racy rebellious or make a fashion statement. It didn't become common until the early seventies."

"Careful, Alice, you're dating yourself. That was forty years ago. Besides, you wear pants all the time…"

"Well, I have to fit in don't I? That doesn't mean I like it. I was a teenager in the fifties, but I'm not trying to dress you in poodle skirts and saddle shoes, am I? Hopefully fashion will get back around to something more acceptable eventually. The classic styles repeat every couple of generations. You know a couple of thousand years ago, everybody wore dresses and there weren't any pants."

"That's called progress, Alice. I don't really think I'd like to see Charlie running around in robes or a kilt."

I finally managed to make my escape from the dressing room only to end up in another one at the next store we went to. For the first time in my life I actually owned more dresses than pants before we took a break and stuffed our armloads of bags into the trunk of Alice's car before we went to the food court for lunch.

It was nice to just sit around and hang out with Alice and Sara, relax for a while and drink a Pepsi and eat Chinese buffet in the food court. I was having fun, but I couldn't quite shake the creepy feeling that I was being watched. I thought I was being subtle as I looked around and tried to see if anyone was staring at me or watching us, but I must have looked over my shoulder once too many. Alice and Sara both picked up on my mood and wanted to know what was going on.

"Is everything alright, Bella?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, you seem kind of nervous. I swear the worst of the shopping is over." Alice said. "We can have some real fun now."

I wasn't sure if that should have made me feel more comfortable or not. I'd seen Alice's idea of fun, and today it meant standing in my underwear trying on tons of clothes I'd never wear, but I let it pass.

"I'm fine. I was just kind of creeped out. I keep feeling like somebody's watching me. It's probably nothing."

"Do you feel it now?" Sara asked, as she looked around scanning our surroundings.

"No. It's gone now…"

"Let me know if you feel it again." Sara said. It made me even more nervous that she was taking it so seriously. Alice seemed to be on a heightened sense of alertness too, as she scanned our surroundings.

"I don't get anything out of the ordinary…" Alice said but she let it trail off.

"What, Alice? Is there really something there?" I asked.

"It's nothing… Just an old scent trail. I noticed it earlier too, but I didn't think it was important until you said something. Another vampire passed through here within the last week, maybe less. They're probably long gone by now. Nobody I know, though. I'll keep an eye out, but it's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" I asked "We can get out of here and hit Walmart next if it isn't safe…"

"You're not getting off that easy, Bella. The mall is open for at least another two hours, and there are more shops we need to visit before they close."

"Fine. What else could I possibly need?"

I should have kept my mouth shut and pushed for Walmart. The last time I'd gone shopping at the mall with Renee, I'd been able to avoid going to Victoria's Secret with her. Sara and Alice weren't going to let me get off so easily. At least that time I'd been able to browse the book store while she shopped for sexy lingerie. Unfortunately, this time we were shopping for me.

"Alice, do we really need to do this?" I complained. "When am I ever possibly going to wear any of this?" I couldn't imagine myself ever wearing most of the things they picked out for me.

"Do you really want to know, or is that a rhetorical question?"

"You can't possibly have seen anything besides me leaving all of this in my drawers because that's the only decision I've made."

"It isn't always about decisions, Bella. I have other tricks up my sleeve too, you know. Besides, you aren't the only one making decisions. You'll use this stuff."

"And this isn't all just for fun and games, Bella." Sara chimed in. "If you remember, you did buy those skirts at Penny's, and I know Alice got you a couple of dresses at Sears. You'll need the stockings, hose and tights to wear with them."

"Couldn't we just buy some pantyhose? What is up with you girls and these stockings and garter belts?"

"It doesn't hurt to have some nice lingerie, and you can make a lot of different outfits with these leggings. You never know when it'll all come in handy. You know what they say, 'dress to impress'."

"I don't have anyone to impress! Because nobodies ever going to see any of this except maybe the girls in the locker room, and I don't plan on wearing much of this to school. If any."

I held up the satin slip and a lacy halter top babydoll that Alice had added to the growing pile. "Which outfits am I supposed to wear these with? I don't sleep in this kind of stuff…"

"You don't sleep in those, Silly." Alice said. "You'll be out of them long before there's any sleeping involved, but you will probably wear them to bed…"

I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks, and I knew I had to be beet red. "Alice! Butt out of my sex life! I can make my own decisions, alright?"

"You don't have a sex life, Bella, but we're working on it. Now that you're done with Mike, you really need our help and advice…"

"Done with Mike?" Sara said. "So something did happen last night."

"I told you I was going to let things with Mike cool off."

"Yeah, but the way Alice said it made it seem more final than what you said. So, who do you have in mind for your next conquest?"

"I don't have anybody in mind," I lied, although I had been thinking about Edward a lot since Alice and I had talked last night. "And I don't make conquests. Maybe I'll just concentrate on school like Charlie wants. Maybe nobody will ask me out."

"Yeah and maybe pigs will fly. Once the word gets around that you aren't going out with Mike anymore, the line will start to form."

"Whatever, you guys pick out whatever you like. I'm not wearing any of it… Well, maybe some of the underwear. I'm going to browse. Knock yourselves out."

I wandered away trying to find anything in this shop that I could realistically see myself wearing. My cheeks were perpetually bright red as I averted my eyes from most of the things on the racks as I looked around. At the front of the shop were some clearance racks and sales tables to try and entice prospective customers to come inside to browse, and I was looking to see what was there.

I gazed wistfully out the front of the shop at the bookstore across the mall, and I was suddenly struck with a profound sense of déjà vu.

The perspective was reversed, and the store was different, but I had seen the tall man with black hair pulled back into a pony tail before. His back was to me and I couldn't see his face, but he was talking to a girl about my age with long brown hair.

I stared transfixed as the scene unfolded. It didn't take long, and then she was leaving the store with him. His arm was around her waist and she had a blank look on her face.

I couldn't let this happen! I had to do something. That girl was going to die if I didn't act. I was moving toward the door when it happened, and I stopped short.

He turned his head and looked directly at me. It was James. I'd never forget that face, but it stopped me cold in my tracks. There was no trace of surprise. It was as if he was expecting me to be there. I knew he was looking at me, and he stared deeply into my eyes like he was looking into my soul. He was smiling with his too bright white teeth, and then he winked at me before he turned away. I stood there frozen as I watched them blend into the crowd.

I shook myself, and the reality came slamming down on me. Why was I standing here? I needed to help that girl!

"Alice! Sara! We have to leave! Now!" Every head in the shop turned to stare at me as I yelled like a crazy woman in the front of Victoria's Secret, but the girls came running.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Sara asked. Alice was scanning the mall, and she was already focusing on the bookstore.

"He was here! It was James! I just saw him with a girl over there in the book store. He compelled her, and she's leaving with him. We have to do something!"

"Which way did they go?" Sara asked, and I pointed the direction.

"C'mon," Alice said. "Let's get over there, and I'll see if I can pick up their scent." We followed her out of the shop, and dashed through the crowd toward the book store.

We got to the spot where they left the store, and I watched Alice inhale deeply. It stood out to me, because she'd been breathing shallowly since we got to the mall when I noticed her chest move at all.

"Ok, I've got it. Follow me." And she dashed into the crowd the same direction James had disappeared with the girl. Sara and I kept up easily as Alice parted the crowd in front of us.

"Is it the same scent you picked up on earlier?" Sara asked.

"No, this scent is male. The older track was definitely female. That's why I didn't worry. I figured they were just shopping. They still might not be related."

Alice led us through the mall, and then turned down a corridor with a sign for the restrooms. She kept going past them and stopped in front of a door that said 'No Admittance: employees only". She looked back at us, and Sara and I nodded. She pushed the door open, and we went through.

This corridor was less brightly lit. There were doors on one wall, and from the names, they were likely the backdoors of the shops in the mall. Alice led us down the hallway at a run, following the trail.

"The female scent is in here too, and stronger. They might be working together. Be ready for two of them."

"James had two companions in Phoenix." I said "Be on the lookout for another male." Sara nodded, but didn't say anything.

Alice hit riot bar on the double doors at the end of the corridor, and we burst out into a warehouse like store room for one of the big department stores. It was huge, and there were floor to ceiling racks of shelving full of merchandise in boxes on pallets. There were aisle ways for a standup forklift, but it was Sunday close to closing time, and the place seemed deserted. She pulled up short and stopped, and looked back and forth for a minute, then nodded and started moving again.

"This is the freshest trail, but they've been here awhile." Alice led us through the racks toward the back of the warehouse.

We came out of the racks, and I turned green and felt nauseous as the scent of fresh blood assaulted my senses. I clamped my jaws together so I wouldn't be sick. Alice wasn't breathing either.

"Are we too late?" Sara asked, after studying our expressions.

"I don't know." Alice said, and led us around the corner.

It was a scene from my nightmares. James was holding the girl with her clothes halfway torn off, but he hadn't had enough time to violate her body. His teeth were locked in her throat, but his eyes were turned up, looking at me as we came into view.

He dropped her at his feet as we stepped around the corner. Blood was flowing freely down her neck from the wound in her throat, but she lay limp. She was still breathing, but looked unconscious, and didn't start screaming. James lips and teeth were red with her blood and he was smiling at me again.

"Hello, Isabel. I knew we'd meet again. Did you come back to finish what we started?"

"No, I came to finish you, monster!"

I'd let the steel shot fall into my hand as we ran to catch him and now I held up my hand and let the steel fly. I didn't miss this time, but the rapid fire hail of steel shot never touched him. A foot in front of his body they deflected away, like some unseen force batted the stream of projectiles away and they rattled and spanged through the shelving like a stray gunshot ricochets.

"You'll have to do better than that, little one. Is that all you've learned?"

"Maybe I can help," Sara said. I glanced her direction and her hands were glowing with the greenish black fire. She seemed to fashion a ball of the malevolent energy, and then it was shooting towards James. It impacted the shield that had deflected my shot and the field flashed green defining the protected area around his body. I saw him writhe in agony, but he shrugged it off and was still standing. Sara was preparing another bolt as James spoke.

"You've made some interesting friends, Isabel. A succubus," and he looked accusingly at Alice, "and a witch, but the time isn't right for me to take you yet. We'll have our time together," and then he was moving towards the door of the office behind him. Sara's bolt passed through the space where he'd been standing as he dodged out of the way. It hit the wall with an explosion of green fire that blasted a man size hole clean through the wall to the outside.

My attention had been on James and the girl. I noticed the woman with red hair for the first time when James stepped into the office. I remembered her from the car… Victoria. The door closed, and I jumped forward to follow them. Alice was faster, and she practically tore the door off the hinges pulling it open, but the room was empty.

There were no other doors or windows, but they were gone. Sara followed us into the room, and then knelt down and placed her hand on the floor.

"Feel this, Bella," She said as she looked up at me. I knelt down and felt the floor, and I could sense the rapidly dissipating energy.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The woman must have been holding a portal open in here. They're gone."

"Can we follow them?"

"No, it's too late. If we knew they were going to port out, we might have been able to track them, but it's too late now. The energy is too faint to get a sense of where it connected to."

I nodded and we stood up. I went back through the door, and Alice was with the girl on the ground. I turned to look back into the room, and Sara was searching through the rest of the contents.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Alice said they'd been here for a while. Maybe there are clues to where they were going next." It made sense and I went to help her.

Most of the stuff was simple store records, and then Sara pulled the top off of a large box. She turned green, and started to gag as she stepped away. I was always too curious for my own good, and I had to look. I knew it was a bad idea before looked into the box. Then I knew why Sara was retching in the waste basket.

There were at least three partially decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic stuffed into the box. They all looked like they'd been teenaged girls when they were alive.

Sara handed me the waste basket as I jerked back from the edge of the box, and then the Chinese food was coming back up. I caught my breath when I was done puking, and Sara was pulling on my arm to lead me out of the room. She slammed the door behind us as we staggered out of the storage closet.

Alice had the bleeding stopped on the girl on the floor, and she was quietly whispering in her ear. I could hear sirens in the distance getting closer. I was surprised nobody from the store was back here demanding answers yet. The mall cops should have been back here by now, but they must have been waiting for the police to show up first.

"What do we do now?" I asked, looking at the girl in Alice's arms. She was alive, but looked unconscious. "What do we do with her?"

"I put her to sleep, and muddled her memories. She'll remember leaving with James, and will have a vivid recollection of his face to describe to the police. She'll remember he attacked her, but there was an explosion, and it scared him off. Sara, you want to get that wall?"

Sara was already at the wall, moving pipes around. They seemed to stretch and shift under her direction, and now there was a broken gas pipe where the hole in the wall was.

"Come on," Sara said. "Let's get out of here. The cops will be here any minute." She grabbed my arm to lead me back through the warehouse.

"What about her?" I asked looking back at the girl on the ground. "We're just going to leave her?"

"The cops will take care of her. C'mon, we've gotta go, unless you want to stay here and explain what happened." I didn't like that idea any better.

We got back to the doorway into the corridor the way we'd come in, but somebody was pounding on the door trying to open it. I looked at Sara and she just grinned.

"I locked it behind us when we came in. Their keys won't work. I didn't want the mall cops to interrupt us."

"So how do we get out?" Alice asked. "The doors into the store have to be watched by now. I can probably charm my way out, but it won't work for three of us."

"C'mon, I can get us out, but it won't be pleasant." Sara took my hand and started leading me to the front corner of the warehouse, away from the commotion. "Coming, Alice?" She asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

Alice seemed torn for a minute, and then made a decision and followed us. Sara stopped in the corner of the warehouse, and then opened her purse and took out a small leather pouch. There was some kind of powder in the pouch, and she used it to pour out a circle on the floor. She stepped inside the circle, and pulled me in with her. She looked back and held out her hand for Alice.

"Damn it, I knew you were going to do this!"

"We don't have time to argue, Alice. Are you coming or not?"

"Fine, but I hate traveling like this." Alice took her hand and stepped into the circle.

"Traveling? How are we going to travel standing in the corner?" I asked.

"No time, Bella. Just take a deep breath, and try not to scream."

"Scream…?"

Sara reached out as though she was picking something out of the air, but with my attuned sight, I saw her hand pass through her aura, and come away with one of the tiny energy nodes in her fingertips. She gestured with a flourish of her fingertips, and energy flowed into the matrix as it expanded and grew. She reached out and energized the circle of powder on the floor, and then used the energy matrix in her hand to empower it. She let the matrix of power slip off her fingertips, and it merged with the circle and continued to grow as she fed power into it.

Then Sara was reaching for us, and pulled Alice and I into her arms so we were pressed close together into a tight group hug. It really wasn't as uncomfortable as I would have thought…

Suddenly without warning there was a blinding flash of light, and I was overcome by a sense of vertigo. Up and down ceased to exist, light and dark and heat and cold ceased to exist. The universe disappeared… my reality was Sara's arms around me, her body pressed to mine. It grounded me and kept me sane in a void where nothing existed but her holding me and her body pressed to mine.

Sensation returned, and I wanted to scream. A thousand pairs of hands were touching me, exploring every inch of my flesh, probing my every orifice, violating the most private and intimate parts of my body. Sara was my anchor to sanity, and I clung to her and gripped her as tightly as I could. It went on and on in this timeless hell and I clutched at Sara for my salvation.

Then it was over. I was standing with my eyes tightly squeezed shut as I held Sara and Alice close and gripped them to my body. I released my death grip on her body and she took a step back relaxing her embrace, but she kept her hands on my hips to steady me.

I opened my eyes and I was standing in a ladies room. There were bathroom stalls along one wall and sinks and mirrors along the other.

"Holy crow!" I exclaimed, startled. "What the hell was that? How did we get here? How did you know it was empty?"

"It was a portal," Alice said. "I hate those damn things. That was pretty rough, Sara."

"It's not my specialty, and I had to do it quick and dirty. It would have been smoother if we took our clothes off first, but I didn't think you wanted to be walking around the mall naked. At least I got us out before the cops got there."

"We're still at the mall? But how did you know this room was empty?" I asked again as I stepped over to the sink to rinse out my mouth and splash some water on my face.

"I could see in before I pulled us through. There were a couple of places in range that I knew. I looked before I ported us. And, yeah we're still at the mall. We left our bags back at Victoria's Secret, and Alice's car is here. It'd be too suspicious if we just abandoned everything. People would start looking for us."

We cleaned up in the ladies room and fixed our makeup. When we were ready, Sara peeked out the door, and then we walked out into the hallway. We made our way back out into the mall and blended into the crowd as we headed back to Victoria's Secret. Alice and Sara went and got their bags from the sales clerk. I guess they'd been at the counter paying when I started yelling earlier.

Finally they agreed it was time to leave, and we went back out to Alice's car before somebody connected us to what had happened in the department store warehouse. We could see the flashing lights from the emergency vehicles down at the end of the mall and a crowd had formed to see what the commotion was about. I was standing watching when the paramedics wheeled the gurney out with the girl on it and loaded her into the back of the ambulance.

At least she was safe. I hadn't even learned her name, but I felt a connection to her. We'd been able to stop James this time, but he'd keep doing this until somebody stopped him. I frowned as I watched the coroner's wagon roll up. The men got out of the front and were pulling on rubber gloves as they walked toward the door to start their gruesome task.

I tried to put it behind me and made Alice drive us to Walmart. I still needed to buy normal clothes and Charlie would ask questions if I came home and didn't have some school clothes. Alice didn't even want to go in, but she was afraid what I'd buy without her expert advice. I had a feeling this was a new experience for her, and she had a wide eyed look as we browsed through the clothes section.

She rejected a lot of my choices, but gave in and let me buy some jeans and tops. I didn't think our taste was too terribly different, but I was more price conscious, while she ignored cost and focused on quality.

I probably would have bought shoes here too, but we'd done that at the mall. I'd had to endure an hour at Footlocker in the mall trying on fifty pairs of shoes before she let me buy any. The shoe sections in the department stores hadn't escaped our attention either. Truthfully, I was surprised we fit it all in the car.

My stomach was settled enough so I could eat by the time we were done at Walmart. I was actually getting hungry, and Alice giggled when my stomach growled.

"I guess it's time to feed the humans again." Alice said with a smirk when we were sitting back in her car.

"I could eat something," I said, and looked back at Sara. "How are you feeling? Are you up for something to eat?"

"Sure, dinner sounds good. What did you have in mind Alice?"

"I know a place…" She reached into her purse, and handed me a card. I did a double take, and studied it more closely. It was a driver's license with a picture of me, but I looked older in the picture. The name said Isabella Cullen. I did the math, and it said I was twenty-five.

"What, so now I'm you sister?" I asked.

"Unless you want to play my mother, sure, sisters works. Just look like the picture. You can handle that, right?"

"Yeah, I've got this…" I studied the picture again, and then stuck the license in my wallet. I reached for the glamour that was still laying dormant over my features and passed my hands in front of my face. I felt the glamour tingle, and I pulled down the visor to look in the vanity mirror.

"Well, what do you think?" I asked as I turned to look at Alice.

"Not bad, Bella, but I doubt you're going to have gray streaks at twenty-five. The rest is good. How about you, Sara? Are you covered?" I made adjustments while Alice talked to Sara.

"Yeah, I'm good. So where are we going?" Alice just smiled and drove, but didn't answer her.

I looked over my shoulder into the back seat, and my mouth dropped open in surprise, but I snapped it shut as I turned back to see where we were going. Sara had changed her appearance, and was back to the blond haired blue eyed all American girl again, but now she looked twenty-three and drop dead super model gorgeous.

"Umm, Alice, what about you?" I asked. "Do you need me to change your appearance for you too?"

"No, they know me here." Alice said as we pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant with an attached lounge. The sign on the side of the building said 'Julians'. It looked like it was a local night spot and dance club, but it was still early for the club scene.

We got out of the car and went in. Alice asked for a booth for three, and they didn't even bother to card us before the hostess led us to our table. I barely noticed because I was too busy studying the hostess. She was too beautiful, and her eyes were a deep red orange ochre color.

"What kind of a club is this?" I hissed at Alice when the hostess walked away to get our drink order. "Is it even safe here?" I noticed the volume dropped in the room at my question, and a lot of the patrons in the room were apparently waiting to hear her answer.

"Of course its safe here, Bella. I wanted you to see what we're like in public. I didn't want you to get the wrong impression after what happened at the mall. James is the worst kind of example of our kind. He's the sort that gives us a bad name. We aren't all like that. We have jobs and coexist in society for the most part."

"Now you finally bring me here?" Sara said with a touch of exasperation in her voice. "Do you know how long I followed you and Jasper around? I even came here to this club before but it seemed normal enough then."

"You weren't supposed to find out, Sara. I had my orders."

"You're finally starting to break away, aren't you? It's about time. You've been mated to Jasper for over forty years. It's about time you cut the cord."

"It's not that easy…"

"So about my offer…?"

"No, Sara. I still can't."

"Fine. Maybe somebody else will be interested." Alice just smiled and shook her head.

The hostess came back with our drinks then, and set them out on the table. She wasn't smiling, and looked a little peeved at Alice.

"So you're hanging with donors now, Alice? Julian isn't going to like this. He runs a legit club. You know the rules, no fang bangers or groupies. If this gets back to the Italians we'll all get in trouble."

"Don't worry, Julian won't mind…"

"Unless you're going into business that is, but I thought you Cullen's weren't into that kind of thing."

"Hey it's not what you think, Heather. They found me…"

Heather was looking at us speculatively, but her derision was barely concealed. Sara sighed, and held out her hand. A tongue of greenish black flame danced around her palm until she closed her hand into a fist and extinguished the dark energy. I had already been reaching for a cigarette when she had walked up with our drinks. I placed it between my lips and lit it with a gesture of my fingers.

"Witches, huh? Ok. We don't get many in here, but that'll fly."

"I prefer the term mage," Sara said, "or awakened if you must."

"Yeah, whatever. You can imagine some of the things I've been called in the last couple of hundred years. So I suppose you'll be wanting menus then?" Alice nodded, and Heather left to go get them for us.

"So this is a vampire nightclub?" I asked.

Alice winced, and quickly corrected me. "Kindred, Bella, don't say that word here. You can call James and the nomads he runs with that, but people around here get touchy about that kind of thing."

"Ok, so this is a kindred nightclub?"

"Yeah, it's a place where we can go and act normal without trying to fit in so hard. There's an exclusive dance club in the back for members only, but the action gets pretty heavy out here too. A lot of humans come here to mingle."

"I'm surprised there's a club like this in Aberdeen. This isn't a very big city."

"We try to stay out of the public eye. It doesn't pay to attract attention. There are bigger clubs in Seattle, and most big cities, but I like the atmosphere in these smaller clubs."

Heather brought us our menus, and I was surprised at the selection. The food was excellent when a human waiter brought our order out from the kitchen. I suppose it made sense. They wouldn't attract human customers if the food sucked.

A few of Alice's more daring friends came over to meet us when we were done eating. We had some drinks and relaxed, but then Sara wanted to go into the club to dance. I was eyeing the antique clock over the bar, and I was conscious of the two hour drive we had ahead of us to get home. We were going to have to leave soon if I was going to make it home before my curfew. A glamour and fake ID wouldn't buy me anymore time with Charlie.

"C'mon, Bella, we can at least check out the club for a couple of minutes. I've seen this band before, and they're really good."

"I can't, Sara. We have school in the morning, and Charlie is expecting me home. He's gonna know what happened at the mall. He'll be worried if I don't get home on time."

"Fine, well I'm going dancing. I'll see you in the morning."

"Sara? You can't stay here… How will you get home?"

"I can find my own way home. I got us out of the warehouse, didn't I? You run along with Alice. I'll see you back in Forks." Sara walked away and went into the dance club while I sat there staring.

"C'mon, Bella," Alice said. "Sara will be alright. We have to leave now if we're going to get you home before your curfew."

I suppose that conversation would have looked really strange to anyone who was watching. I got up reluctantly and followed Alice out to the car, and let my appearance shift back to normal once I was in the passenger seat.

"Are you sure she'll be safe in there?" I asked as we pulled out of the lot.

"Sara will be fine. She can handle herself, but she's in for a big disappointment. Nobody that goes to this club is lonely enough to give her what she wants, and she doesn't have the kind of money it takes to buy it."

"What do you mean, Alice?"

"Sara wouldn't be going home with us, even if we had the time to stay and dance all night. She'll find somebody to take her home."

"She's looking for a hook up? She doesn't strike me as that type…"

"No, but she'll settle for that if she thinks it's a step in the right direction. She wants to meet a special friend."

"…a step in the right direction? What are you saying, Alice?"

"I thought you would have figured it out by now."

"Figured what out? What are you trying to say?"

"Sara wants to be turned, Bella. That's why Edward is mad at her. It's why he won't talk to her anymore."

"What! Why would she want that?"

"Everybody has there own motivation. You'll have to talk to Sara to find out why she wants it so bad. She's been looking for one of these clubs for a long time now. Edward would never take her to one. She figures that if none of the vampires she knows will do it, then she needs to meet more vampires."

"How come you get to say that word, and I can't? That doesn't seem fair, Alice."

"Because I am one, and you aren't. I don't really care. It's the word I grew up hearing. It just isn't considered polite in public."

I nodded and settled in for the rest of the trip to Forks. I was quiet for most of the ride home. I had a lot to think about after everything that had happened in the last couple of days.

That scum James was still out there and more girls were going to die as long as he was loose in the world. Somebody had to stop him, but he was more powerful than I had imagined. Sara had been able to slow him down, but we hadn't been quick enough to stop him. I needed to learn more so I'd be more of a help next time.

The scary thing was that James was so close to my new home. It couldn't be a coincidence. It had seemed like he was toying with me. The situation was too similar to what had happened to me, like it was set up to get to me. I knew James was coming for me now, but he'd said the time wasn't right yet. What was he waiting for and when would the time be right?


	12. Chapter 12 Bowling

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Sorry this has been so long in coming. I started playing WoW again when the new expansion came out, and I haven't been putting as much time into my writing. I'm still working on all of my stories, and I have quite a bit of the next chapter of this story written. Actually it was all together as one extremely long chapter, but there were still things I needed to write and I knew I'd be breaking it up into smaller chapters. This seemed like a good break point, so I got this part ready to post.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 12 Bowling

I must have dozed off on the trip back to Forks. I was surprised that we were home before my curfew. We actually made the trip home in less time than it took to drive down. I suspected that Alice must have just pushed the gas pedal down to the floor once I drifted off, but I was asleep so I wasn't sure.

I think Charlie was a little scared at how much we had to carry in from the car. He helped us unload and carry everything in. At least he seemed resigned to allowing Alice into the house now. It took the three of us a couple of trips up the stairs to haul it all up to my room. I had more clothes from this one shopping trip than I'd brought with me when I moved in.

Alice stayed to help me put it all in my closet and dresser. I was making a stack of the receipts on my desk as she bustled around the room putting things away where they belonged. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that she already knew where everything went. She didn't stay for long after we were done, and I sat down to total up the damage and see how much I owed Charlie and Alice.

That was when I figured out that a lot of the receipts were missing. I had let Alice charge a lot of the purchases, with the intention of paying her back later. She seemed to like it that way because I complained less about what she was buying me when I didn't see the total at the register. I got suspicious when there was no receipt for Victoria's Secret in the stack. There had been several bags of lingerie and underwear related things that were in my drawers now that I hadn't paid for. The other receipts didn't seem to add up either. Suddenly the amounts didn't seem too terribly unreasonable for a day long shopping trip, but there were simply more things in my room now than the receipts would account for. According to what I could tell, I didn't owe Alice anything, and Charlie probably wouldn't expect more than a couple of hundred dollars. I'd have to discuss this with Alice at school.

Alice never did give me the other receipts. I asked her for them, but she just smiled and told me no. I'd have to be more careful in the future. Charlie just accepted that I needed all of it, and didn't make me pay him back either. He seemed to feel that he owed it to me for missing the last seventeen years of buying me things. I didn't agree, but I couldn't really argue with him about it. I didn't know the details of my parent's custody arrangements, because it had never been an issue. There had never been fights over child support payments, so I assumed they were on time if there even were any. Renee had never complained about the arrangements so it was a non-issue. I simply accepted it and moved on.

Monday was the start of my first full week at Forks high school. It would be nice to say that the next couple of weeks flew by, but I'd be lying. School dragged for me. It wasn't at all difficult, but that simply added to my boredom. It seemed like I'd already studied most of the course material already. I really wished I could simply test out of the classes and move on, but that wasn't really an option if I was seriously considering college. A GED simply didn't carry the same weight a diploma did, so I was stuck sitting through boring classes I could have as easily taught.

Gym was less of an ordeal now that I knew how to handle the situation. There was no way I wanted to stand out from the crowd and suddenly become the star player on some team, but I took my time to work up to average. I wasn't afraid of the ball anymore, and I knew it couldn't hit me unless I let it. It was more fun to direct the game to turn out how I wanted it too. I think Haley and Michaela suspected what I was doing, but they just played along and we all laughed together about how lucky we were. After Monday, we were usually on the same team together.

I went to my counseling sessions with Mr. Reese on Wednesday afternoons, but nothing untoward had happened. We discussed how I was assimilating into school, and he seemed impressed with my grades. I still got the creeps being alone with him in his classroom. I felt like he was undressing me with his eyes and didn't like being alone with him. It was a totally different feeling than being with him in class with other students around. I was glad when we were done and I hurried out to meet up with the girls to leave on those days.

At least once the school day was over I was constantly busy and had little time to dwell on my endless days at school. My schedule for Newton's outfitters was pretty standard after that first short week when I started, and a pattern developed. I was scheduled to work Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday now with Tuesday taking the place of that previous Wednesday work day because of the holiday. I saw no reason for the schedule to change unless I needed a day off for some other commitment, but I could swap shifts with somebody else if the need ever arose.

When I wasn't at work, I spent my days after school with Sara. She helped me start my book of shadows, and we delved more into the theory and lore of practical magick. As she put it, I knew how to do some things, now I needed to learn why they worked, and what there was to learn. She said having a strong grounding in the fundamentals would pay off in the long run because it would help me to improvise and figure things out on my own.

We discussed my shielding talent at length. I wanted to know what I could do. The shield that James had used at the mall to defend against our attacks intrigued me, and I wanted to learn how to do it too. Sara cautioned me not to try and push too hard too fast, but I wanted to be able to be able to defend myself the next time we met. Besides, there were other dangers out there, and I knew I'd be a target for them.

Everyone in Forks that I'd met that could use magick had known I was special just by looking at me. Angela told me I stood out like a beacon. I either needed to figure out how to tone that down, or be ready to defend myself when the not so nice people noticed me. I knew the fundamentals and academic knowledge were important, but I still made sure we spent time with our combat practice as well. I'd made a pathetic showing that Sunday at the mall, and I knew I had to do better.

I was worried about Sara too after the way our night had ended on that day we went shopping. To say she was burning the candle at both ends was an understatement. I knew she was in Aberdeen or Seattle whenever she wasn't at school or with me. I didn't know where she found the energy to keep going, and I knew it couldn't be healthy for her. On the nights we trained together, she'd have me home by my curfew, but I could read her anxiety and desire to leave so she could run off to try and cultivate her new crowd of 'kindred' friends.

I hadn't actually come out and confronted her about what Alice had told me, but I could read the signs now as we studied. I could only guess at her motivation, but Sara seemed to truly idolize and embrace the supernatural world that we seemed to be skirting the edge of. She wanted to be part of it, and she seemed to consider being turned as part of the process. A kind of initiation that would truly make her a part of the world she wanted to belong to.

She'd been doing this a lot longer than I had, and I didn't really know what to think. Apparently there advantages to being a vampire, there were the obvious disadvantages to consider as well. I didn't know how I'd feel about this subject if I'd been studying for ten years instead of a couple of weeks. It would take an awful lot to make me want something like that. I was happy being human, but who was I to try and tell Sara what to do with her life?

Charlie tried to question me about the incident at the mall in Aberdeen. The story had made the papers, but the media didn't have all the details. I knew he was trying to be subtle as he asked his questions to see if I'd noticed anything when I was shopping with Alice and Sara. He seemed satisfied with my story about seeing the emergency vehicles in the parking lot while we were leaving, but I lied and told him I didn't know why they were there.

I took a chance and made another trip into the basement the morning after we talked. The mall incident had made it onto his wall of weird, and he had a lot more details than I had read in the newspaper. He had a copy of the official police report, but it made no mention of three girls running through the mall, although there was a detailed lab report on the vomit in the waste basket. There was conjecture that there might be more victims because it didn't match any of the known victims and was relatively fresh. There was an artist's rendition of James, and even some blurry surveillance camera stills that looked like him, but there was no mention of Victoria.

I wanted to find a way to get more information to Charlie, but if I passed it along through Alice, he'd worry that we'd been so close to what had happened. I was worried about Charlie, too. He was only human, and James was dangerous. I didn't know how he planned to hunt something like James, but I was scared that they might ever actually meet. James was too powerful and supernatural for Charlie to handle. I tried to push my fears to the back of my mind and take one day at a time and concentrate on the present. I didn't really have a lot of free time to sit worrying.

Between school, work, and my training with Sara I didn't really have time for a social life either, but I suppose that didn't really matter because there wasn't anybody to worry about on the dating front. Mike seemed to take the just friends theme to heart, and really was just my friend. I started to suspect that maybe Alice had been a little over zealous in what she made him forget, until I found myself accepting Mike's apology for being too forward when we were at his house that Saturday night. After that we were just friends, and Mike started going out with Jessica again.

I probably wouldn't have even noticed the situation with Mike if Jessica didn't seem so smug about the whole situation. She didn't try to hide the fact that she felt she had 'won him back', and seemed to take some satisfaction in the fact that she had 'beaten me out' for his affections. As far as I was concerned, she could have him if she wanted him, but her attitude irked me. I almost considered trying something with Mike to put her in her place until Alice asked me if that was really what I wanted to do. It wasn't so I just swallowed my pride and ignored the situation.

I was convinced that Alice had done more than just make Mike forget, and had adjusted the relationship to something more to her liking, but I wasn't going to complain. I knew what Alice wanted, but that wasn't going anywhere either. Edward didn't return to school that first week and I sat alone in biology class everyday wondering what I'd say to him if he was there. We had both done and said things we regretted. I couldn't completely excuse Edward's actions, but I felt guilty for driving him from his home and family. I only felt worse the second week when his seat remained empty. I could feel the eyes of his family on me when I sat with my friends at lunch, but I never actually caught them looking when I look at his empty seat at their lunch table.

I had to admit, I had extremely little exposure to the whole supernatural thing when Edward and I were thrown together that day in Biology class. I could imagine an entirely different scenario unfolding if I hadn't already known what he was and something of what he was capable of doing. At the time, I was using my previous experience with James as my basis for expectations. I had had time to form a broader opinion of what to expect after spending so much time with Alice and learning more about her world. I had judged Edward too harshly, but that didn't excuse him trying to compel my actions to suit his desires.

I knew he couldn't compel me unless I let him now so it put us a slightly more even footing. Sara seemed to feel that Edward would be attracted to me, and Alice seemed to think that there would be something between us. Alice said that Edward hadn't been looking for love or a relationship for years now, and I had no intention of going out with him simply for snack time with Bella. Bella being the snack, but she had implied that there was more going on. I was willing to give him a second chance and see what happened now that I understood more of what he was capable of and had an idea what to expect. So far, I didn't exactly have a stellar track record with guys in the relationship department. If he was willing to take his chances, then I was willing to talk to him. At least he was slightly more durable than Mike.

Edward was incredibly handsome, but there should be more to a relationship than just good looks and animal attraction. I'd only seen him three times, and talked to him once, but Alice's campaign of innuendo and veiled comments was getting me curious. I wondered why she was trying to push us together so hard, but I knew she'd never tell me until I figured it out on my own. Of course I needed him to be here to find out if there was anything to this. It wouldn't do me any good to get my hopes up only to be disappointed, but I found myself staring at the Cullen's table at lunch everyday wondering if this was the day he'd return to school.

I hung out with Angela and the girls after work on the next couple of Saturday nights. Sara said she had a date on those nights, and maybe she did, but she wouldn't say with whom and I knew she was running down to Aberdeen to visit her new friends. I doubted I'd see much of her on the weekends for a while.

We drove out to the races and I cheered for Mike and Ben that first week. Jessica was hanging all over Mike, so I didn't even go say hi to him. Alice found a minute to come chat with me, but I still felt intimidated by her family. She won easily but we had to leave before I could go talk to her again. Edward still wasn't there with them and I wondered if he'd ever come back to Forks.

I went to the movies in Port Angeles with Haley and Michaela the next Saturday night, and we had fun on a nice normal girl's night out. Angela had a date with Ben, and Sara took off for Aberdeen on Friday night after she dropped me at home.

Angela invited had me to come over to her house and hang out on Sunday morning. She was going to be working on a project with Haley, Michaela and Ben downstairs and wanted to know if I felt like coming over to watch and learn. I didn't have anything else planned for the day, and even if Sara was home from Aberdeen, she needed to sleep sometime. I told Angela I'd be there Sunday morning.

I slept in a little later the next morning since it was Sunday and I'd told Angela I'd be over around ten. I got up and ran through my morning routine and showered, brushed my teeth, and got dressed for the day. It was around nine thirty when I finally went downstairs to grab a cup of coffee.

I was pleased to see Charlie had fallen back into his familiar routine. He'd been gone yesterday morning when I got up for work, and he was gone again today. I assumed he was out standing by a river somewhere with a fishing pole in his hand. I had a bowl of cereal and drank my coffee. Then I got the kitchen cleaned up before leaving for Angela's house.

I grabbed my new long coat out of the closet and bundled up to walk down the block to Angela's. It was in the mid-thirties out this morning, but it was supposed to warm up into the forties this afternoon. It still hadn't snowed yet this season, and I thanked god for small favors as I rubbed my hands together to get the circulation going. At least the drizzle and rain slick streets hadn't frozen over during the night. I lit my cigarette and stuffed my other hand into my pocket as I braved the elements to walk down the block.

I tossed my cigarette butt in the gutter before I walked through the gate and up onto the porch in front of the door. Angela greeted me at the door before I could knock. She let me in and took my coat, and then I followed her into the family room. Ben was already there, but Haley and Michaela hadn't shown up yet. I sat down on the couch and made myself comfortable. Angela sat down next to Ben while we waited for the other girls.

"So what's this project you have planned today?" I asked.

Angela just shrugged. "Something we do from time to time to help me in my research. We want to try scrying for that other group I told you were in this area."

"Scrying? What's that?" I asked, feeling a little uncomfortable. I had a pretty good idea that the 'other group' Angela was searching for were the Cullens.

Ben laughed. "I forget how new all of this is to you, Bella. It's a form of divination magick."

"Divination?" I asked apprehensively as my sense of discomfort with this line of discussion increased. That was what Alice did to know about things before they happened.

"Yes, it's the school of magick used to try and foretell the future or try and glean information through occult sources." Angela said. "We haven't had much luck with it in the past. We're hopeful that now that you're here we might have more success."

"What kind of information? Why would it work better with me here? I thought I blocked magick out? I'm not talented at divination. I'm a shield."

Angela seemed impressed with my knowledge, but I was worried I'd let something slip I wasn't supposed to say. I knew about the Cullen's, but the rest of Angela's group didn't except for Sara. We both had our own reasons for not saying anything.

Haley and Michaela had both dated some of the Cullen's in the past. I didn't know how they'd react to the knowledge that they were really vampires. I was sure if they knew about their compulsion ability; they'd put two and two together and figure out what was going on. I was upset just because Edward had tried to ask me out, and I knew what he was and what he was doing. They had actually gone out with one or more of the Cullens, and they'd have to assume that compulsion had played a part at some point. Alice said they didn't force people to do things, but would Haley and Michaela believe that? Would any of the girls they'd dated if they knew the truth?

"I guess Sara hasn't been slacking on the training. Yes, you act as a natural shield because your aura disrupts magick around you, but if you're part of the ritual, your energy will be directed into the magick and boost its effectiveness. We should be able to figure something out and get some answers with you helping."

"Ok, but isn't the use of divination magick supposed to be bad or something?"

"Divination has been considered evil by many religions and governments. It's the reason there are laws against witchcraft in many countries. The Catholic Church passed canon law against the use of it claiming anybody that used it to gain knowledge was in league with the devil. We aren't so you don't have to worry about that. We're simply seeking knowledge. How you use that knowledge determines if you're good or evil, not the knowledge itself."

There was a knock at the door, and Angela went to go let Haley and Michaela in. She took their coats and we chatted for a minute, and then she led us down to the room under the kitchen so we could get started. The room looked almost the same today, but there was a small round table set up in the center of the circle painted on the floor.

The center of the table was dominated by a large crystal sphere supported on an ornate golden colored metal stand. There were other items and paraphernalia laid out on the table as well. There was a folded map and what appeared to be some smaller crystals attached to a chain like you'd wear as a pendant or necklace.

Angela led us into the circle and began the ritual by casting the circle. We proceeded as we had before. They called the quarters next to finish up the preliminary preparation. Then Angela had us all gather around the table in the center of the circle.

"I think we're ready to start now," Angela said. "I'd like you all to join hands and just focus on the crystal sphere. Try to let your minds go blank and concentrate on directing your energy into the crystal. I'll direct the energy and attempt to scry for information about the other group I've been searching for."

"When you say focus on the crystal sphere, do you mean just stare at it?" Maybe it sounded stupid, but this was all new to me, and I wanted to do it right.

"Look at the crystal, but try and look past the surface like when you use your sight. Try and focus on the center of the crystal sphere."

I nodded and took Angela's and Michaela's hands as I gazed into the crystal sphere. The others seemed to relax and let their energy flow, but this whole process had me on edge. I knew things Angela didn't know, and I wasn't ready to share them, but this was her way of trying to find out about these things. Alice was my friend, and I didn't want to reveal her family's secret with out her permission. I knew it was what Angela was trying to learn; what she needed to know even if she didn't know that it had to do with Alice or even the Cullens in particular. That knowledge kept me from letting go and completely focusing on the ritual. I poured my energy into the sphere like the others but I didn't let go and let Angela direct the energy.

I gazed into the crystal like the others, but I was aware of what was going on around me. Angela was completely focused on the crystal sphere, and her eyes seemed to glaze over as gazed into the crystal. I started to become aware of energy flowing in through the circle gathering around the crystal. It was amorphous and tenuous, constantly changing shape and form, but it seemed to focus as it flowed into the crystal sphere. Angela was reaching out to it, willing it to come to her. It seemed to be the purpose of the ritual, and this focused energy beginning to flow out the crystal sphere was the goal we were seeking.

I could feel that this energy held the answers Angela was seeking. I concentrated on it, and it started to spread and flow more towards me instead of Angela. I took control of the flow and I felt it connect with my aura. Time became meaningless as I drifted away and let the energy flow into me and through me.

The room became fuzzy but new images started to fill my head. It was almost like being in a dream state or recalling memories, but I knew they were things that had never happened to me. They didn't seem to be complete scenes, but random images that flashed through my mind briefly and left me wondering what they meant.

I was at school talking to Edward. He seemed angry and then he stormed off and walked away…

I was at school talking to Edward. It was the same scene repeated, but different. This time he was smiling. He held my hand and we walked away together...

I was driving a red car I'd never seen before, but I knew it was mine...

I was at the bowling alley talking to Edward as Jasper bowled a strike, again. Alice cheered and then it was my turn…

I was standing in front of a small red house on the edge of the forest. There was a man with long black hair in a wheelchair on the porch, and I could smell the ocean in the distance…

I was standing in an alley with my back pressed to the wall as a staccato burst of automatic weapon fire spanged and ricocheted of the bricks over my head…

I was looking into the mirror, but a different Bella looked back at me. She was too pretty and her eyes were a dark orange shade of topaz…

I was in Aberdeen outside Julian's arguing with Sara…

Edward was standing in the center of a circle performing a ritual and a dark shape coalesced out of the air before him…

I was in a club with Sara and we were laughing as Edward came back to the table with our drinks…

Alice's family was sitting around a large white living room and we seemed to be having a serious conversation, but everyone seemed happy…

I was embroiled in a deeply passionate kiss. I was naked in Edward's bed and I pulled away to stretch languorously as he reached for me again…

I was in the forest running. I was in a panic as something chased me…

Blood, there was so much blood, but it didn't make me sick – I was drawn to it with an almost irresistible craving…

The images kept flashing through my head faster and faster and I felt like I was spinning out of control as I whirled through an endless stream of possibilities.

Suddenly the images sharpened and my reality shifted. I knew intellectually that it was only a vision but it seemed so vivid, so real… like I was there while it happened.

I was in a ruined building lying naked on my back. There was excruciating pain in my hands, and I knew they were spiked to the platform above my head. I was bound to the hard surface and it felt rough under my back but was covered with a silk cloth. I struggled but I couldn't move. I could feel the coruscating flow of dark energy swirling around me and I knew this was part of some kind of ritual. I heard laughter, and I knew instantly that it was James. He dropped his robe as he moved into my field of view and stood naked at the foot of the altar staring at me with a lascivious smirk. I looked past him, and there was a huge dark malevolent man-like shape with glowing red eyes that seemed to be composed of smoke and darkness behind him.

"It's time, Isabel," James said with a lewd smirk as he started to climb onto the altar with me. I screamed when I felt his hands on me pushing my knees apart and he moved between them over my body. I could feel his weight settle on me pressing my body down onto the rough surface of the altar. His hands gripped my breasts and his tongue was pushing into my mouth as I felt the head of his cock at my opening starting to push into me.

I was back in Angela's basement and I was still screaming for real as my skin crawled from the feel of James' touch on my skin, but the sense of dread and panic started to fade when the vision abruptly ended. My jaw snapped shut with a click as I cut it off but everyone was staring at me.

"Bella, are you all right?" Angela asked with real concern in her voice as she gathered me into her arms and held me.

"What… Did you… What happened, Angela? Did you see that too? It was so real… It was like I was there and it was happening…"

"No, I was getting flashes, but nothing concrete. I saw Edward and Alice Cullen. They seemed to be in a lot of the images, but it was like something was blocking me from making a solid connection. What did you see?"

"Most of it didn't make sense…" I lied. "I saw James again. I was on a table or altar and he was performing some kind of dark ritual. There was a smoky dark shape with glowing red eyes in the background and I could feel the darkness rolling off of it…"

"This isn't good at all. What were you doing on the altar? What was your part in the ritual?"

I looked down and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I turned red. I couldn't meet Angela's eyes, and I knew everyone was looking at me waiting for my response.

"I think… James was about to rape me when I screamed and broke out of the vision… I could see and feel everything, but I couldn't move or stop him…" Haley and Michaela gasped, and Ben made an angry sound almost like a growl. I felt Angela nod, but she held me tighter and rubbed my back.

"You were the sacrifice. That sounds like a dark ritual to open a portal to one of the outer planes. I think James wants to bring something through into our world."

"The sacrifice…? He was going to kill me?" I hugged her for a minute, and then she let me go when I stepped back.

"Not exactly… Your body wouldn't die, but you wouldn't be Bella anymore, and releasing enough of your energy to open a portal like that would bring you close to death. The entity that came through would use your body as a host to exist in our plane of reality. You'd probably pray for death if you were still sane enough to understand what was happening to you. Chances are you'd still be in there somewhere, but the dark entity would be in control of your body, your power and your abilities."

"Ok… So we're talking a fate worse than death…"

"Yeah, pretty much. I would be an eternity of hell on earth as you were witness to the depravity it wrought in our world. The only way to stop it would kill both of you."

"But this hasn't happened yet… How do we stop it from happening? Can we stop it? Is this my fate?"

"No, Bella. There is no fate. This is a path that you're on, but the future isn't set in stone. We determine our own destinies."

"Alright. How do I get off this path and control my destiny? I didn't ask for James to be part of my life. I'll admit the last time was partly my own fault, but how do I get him out of my life now?"

"Umm… You control your destiny and make good decisions, although this James appears to have his own agenda, and you seem to be a part of it. I hate to say this, but he probably wants you because of how powerful you are. It'll take a lot of energy to open a gate like that and bring this entity through. He needs you to make it work. It probably wouldn't work with anyone else."

"So he isn't going to stop or leave me alone." Angela knew we'd seen James at the mall in Aberdeen. We hadn't told her we fought him.

"I think the only way this will end well for you is to take James out of the equation. I think… It's the only way you'll ever have any peace…" Angela seemed apprehensive, and I knew she was uncomfortable with this topic.

"…take him out of the equation… You mean kill him."

"I don't condone the taking of any life, Bella, but I know James is evil. I can research our options, but maybe this is a conversation you need to be having with Sara."

"Ok, thanks Ang."

"Now about the other visions… Why were the Cullens in so many of them? I saw a flash of what looked like a ritual."

"Yeah… About that…" I stuttered. Angela suspected something now, but how much should I tell her?

"Do you know something, Bella?" Angela asked.

"Uhh… Yeah, I know about some things…"

"What things?" Haley asked, curious now to know what I'd been holding back.

"I promised Alice I wouldn't say anything…"

"Alice Cullen? You've been hanging out with her a lot." Michaela said.

"Yeah, Alice is cool. Look you guys, I'll tell you what I know, but you can't say anything. Ok?"

"Alright, Bella, you know we don't spread rumors or talk out of turn. If you say this stays between us, you know we'll honor that."

"Ok… Well, the first couple of days I was here, I figured out Alice was using a glamour to alter her appearance. It was nothing big, and I didn't even know what was going on until Angela explained about glamours."

"So… They know about magick?" Ben asked. The girls seemed shocked.

"Umm… Yeah? You know after we set my lights and I learned to use the sight I can see auras now. Edward and his father are at least as powerful as Angela and Sara. I only talked to Edward that one time in class, and I haven't met Alice's father yet, but he has a brilliant bright green aura."

"I knew they were all too good looking for it to be real." Michaela said, perturbed. "So it's all just glamours?"

"Umm… Edward doesn't use any glamours to change his looks. He really is that gorgeous…"

"Is that why Edward is in so much of your future?" Haley asked with a smirk.

"Did you see all of that too?" I asked shocked.

"No, I didn't see anything. You just seem to get this dreamy look when you say Edward's name, and you're the one who said he was gorgeous. So you dumped Mike for a Cullen?"

"Hey, I didn't dump anyone! Mike and I are just friends. Besides, Edward's been gone for two weeks. I only even talked to him one time."

"Uh huh. Maybe he'll be back tomorrow. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens if he comes back to school." I knew I was bright red, but Haley just smirked at the silly grin on my face.

"Let's try and stick to one topic at a time," Angela said. "So the Cullens can use magick, and some of them are powerful too." Angela said. "That explains a lot. Maybe I should talk to them about this…"

"No! I mean… How would you explain how you know? I promised Alice I wouldn't say anything. They know about all of you… Alice asked me if I was part of your coven, but wouldn't they have talked to you by now if they wanted you to know?"

"How do they know about us?" Angela asked. I wasn't really sure, but I had a good idea. Either Sara had told Edward, or Alice had seen them. I was betting on Alice.

"Alice has a talent for divination. She sees visions of things before they happen kind of like how Sara is talented at psychometry. She didn't actually come out and tell me, but I'll bet she had a vision about you guys."

"Ok. I won't try to contact them for now. If they've known about us and didn't approach us, then they must have their reasons. I'll monitor this situation, and keep an eye on them, but this doesn't really change anything. Most groups of awakened that can use magick are relatively secretive these days for their own good. It's a matter of survival in this day and age."

"Thanks, Ang, for understanding. I like Alice, and I don't want her to be mad at me. She'll probably see this anyhow. I'll talk to her about it."

"I doubt it. The circle should effectively shield us from most divination magick. I don't know how powerful her ability is, but I doubt she'll see this unless her ability is incredibly powerful."

"Ok, well I'll still try to bring this up somehow."

"Thank you, Bella. That's probably the best way to handle this. If they want to talk, I'd be more than willing to meet with them, but this still leaves the other matter I was hoping to find out about. I guess we'll have to try again another day."

It didn't feel like we'd been working for very long. There weren't any clocks in the room and none of us wore a watch, but suddenly I got a sense how long we'd really been down here. My muscles were stiff from standing still for so long, and I was hungry. I realized it must have been hours since we started. The conversation ended so Angela could conclude the ritual. They went through the process of releasing the quarters, and then Angela dismantled the circle.

We went back up to the kitchen, and I was surprised to see it was already late afternoon. We hung out for a while in Angela's family room, but I said my goodbyes and then left to go home to fix dinner. I didn't really have any plans for the night besides cooking dinner for Charlie. Maybe I'd call Sara after I got Charlie fed to see if she wanted to do something. Assuming she was awake or even in town.

I was going to have to have Sara show me how to create a portal. My one and only experience stood out in my mind as something to avoid at all costs, but it sure seemed like a convenient way to travel. I knew it was how Sara was getting back and forth between Aberdeen, Seattle and Forks without having to spend hours on the road driving back and forth. Sara said it wasn't nearly such a bad experience when you controlled the portal yourself. Apparently it was a lot worse on the passengers, if there were any. She said it also depended on your ability to shield yourself from the negative effects, so I had high hopes that it would be something I was good at once I learned how to do it myself.

Charlie's cruiser was still gone when I got home so I unlocked the door and let myself in. I was thinking about the day's events and my questions for Sara as I ran upstairs to put away my things and wash up before I started dinner. I pushed open my door to hang my purse on the back of the chair at my desk and change my shoes before I went down the hall to the bathroom.

"You just had to say something, didn't you?"

I skidded to a stop and literally squeaked in surprise. My head snapped around, and I stared at the pixie lying on her stomach on my bed with her head propped up on her elbows.

"Jeez, Alice! Give me a heart attack why don't you! You could have waited downstairs for me. How did you get in, anyhow? The door was locked…"

"You know, hiding the key to the front door on the porch eve isn't exactly high tech security, and you did invite me in. That doesn't go away."

"I'm curious, can I take it back?"

Alice sighed. "Yes, you can rescind the invitation, but only the person who made it can take it back. You can tell me to leave, but I can come and go until you do. Charlie can't take back your invitation, so he can't kick me out unless you want me to leave. Are you throwing me out?" Alice asked with a pout.

"No, I was just curious…"

"Good. Did you know your house is warded? I burned myself when I tried to open your window. I actually had to use the front door to get in."

"Yeah, I know about the wards, but I don't know who set them…"

"Huh… My guess is one of your dad's buddies down at the rez. He sure seems to spend a lot of time out there with them."

"So it wasn't anyone in your family then? I wondered…"

"No, he doesn't trust us that much. The house is warded to keep vampires out and possibly something else in?"

"You mean something like teenaged werewolves?"

"God, nobody has any secrets around here anymore since you came to town! So now Angela and her coven know about us too?"

"Only that you can use magick. I didn't say anything about you being vampires. They think you're just another coven of awakened like her group. She seemed to accept my explanation, but she's going to keep looking. She wanted to meet with your family and talk, but she agreed to wait until you guys made the first move."

"Well, that's something at least. Carlisle will want to know about this. He can decide what we need to do."

"So did you see the rest of what happened today?"

"You mean a bunch of half trained amateurs messing around with looking into the great unknown?"

"I suppose. At least that's true for me, and I'd hardly say I'm even half trained. Did you see the visions?"

"I've probably seen all of the visions you saw today at some point, and in greater detail I might add."

"A lot of what I saw was kind of disturbing…"

"Looking into the future usually is. You're safer just waiting for it to happen. You'll sleep better at night."

"You're probably right, but there was one vision in particular…"

"Your father is going to be home soon. Why don't you go wash up like you were planning, and get dinner started? We can have this discussion after you've had something to eat. I have a feeling this is going to take more than a couple of minutes."

"Alright. Are you staying for dinner?"

"That depends… Are you still having fish?" Alice didn't try to hide the look of distaste, possibly disgust that colored her features.

"I'm open to suggestions if you have a menu preference…"

"Good! I left some fresh venison steaks in the fridge. I'll have mine very rare."

"How rare?"

"Well I'm sure Charlie would suspect something if you served it raw. Just warm it up and brown it on both sides. I not much of a fan of burnt meat, but I'll suffer through. I don't really see why you humans feel you have to cook everything. It ruins the natural taste and textures."

"Ok… Green salad ok with you?"

"Yes, the salad I had the other day was quite pleasant, although I can't see why people try to smother the taste with all that goop and dressings."

I chuckled as I walked out of the room. I changed out of my boots into my slippers and went down to the bathroom and washed up. Alice followed me down to the kitchen and sat at the table as I prepared dinner. We chatted as I worked. I could tell she was very interested in everything I did, but didn't want to get in my way as I fixed dinner.

"Alice, I doubt we're going to sit around the table and discuss what happened today with Charlie home. Do we have plans tonight?"

"I thought maybe we'd get out of here for a while. You know, hang out, have a couple of drinks, maybe go bowling. It's early, and Sara is out of town. It's not like you have any homework to get caught up on for tomorrow."

"Just the two of us?"

"I can invite Jazz if you're lonely. I think he's getting jealous of all the time I've been spending with you."

"Just Jasper? You're not trying to set something up?"

"God! I am so going to smash that damn crystal ball of Angela's! Knowing the future is my shtick. Fine, I won't invite them if you don't want me too."

"No, I don't mind. I just want to have some time to talk to you with just the two of us first. I don't mind if they come. Just don't try and make it seem like we just happened to run into them. And this isn't a date. We can hang out as a group, but I'm not ready for that yet, Alice. It's going to take some time before I trust him." Alice literally squealed, and was practically bouncing in her seat.

"Jeez, Alice! Don't break the furniture! I said we'd hang out… That's all."

"Ok, ok… Finish dinner. Charlie's pulling into the drive in about ten seconds. Act human."

"Umm… I am human."

"Oh, you know what I mean. No hocus pocus. Finish setting the table."

"Fine. Bossy much?" I smiled so Alice would know I was just kidding. I was pretty much done anyhow. It wasn't an elaborate meal. I was more concerned with how Charlie would react to Alice staying for dinner.

The front door opened, and I heard Charlie come in. I could hear him going through his nightly routine of putting his gear away in the front closet. Alice wrinkled her nose, and I assumed that meant he'd been lucky today and was bringing home more fish.

"Hey, Bells. That smells good. Are we having venison tonight? How did you manage that? I didn't think there was any left in the freezer." I could hear his voice get closer as he approached the kitchen, and then he froze in the doorway.

"Hey, Charlie." Alice greeted him from her seat at the table.

"Hi, dad. You don't mind if Alice stays for dinner, do you? She brought us some fresh venison steaks."

"Fresh? How fresh? The last legal deer season ended on December thirty-first. This is the end of January. I don't hold with poaching. There are game management laws for a reason."

"This wasn't taken on public land, and people need to eat. Besides, we didn't use any of the weapons listed in the game regulations. Would you prefer another alternative?" Alice asked.

Charlie shuddered and walked into the kitchen. He dropped his string of fish in the sink and got to work preparing them for the freezer.

"No, I guess this is for the best. Just make sure your family keeps it discrete. People would talk if there was a lot of out of season venison floating around. It would attract attention from fish and game."

"We know how to keep a low profile, Charlie. We've been doing this for a long time. I can keep you supplied if you enjoy it."

"I'm partial to fresh venison if you have extra. Just try to keep it on the down low. There's enough going on with raising red flags at fish and game." Alice nodded, and I assumed our freezer would be stocked with fresh game from now on.

Charlie glanced back at me, and I quickly looked away and busied myself with getting dinner on the table. I could almost hear the wheels going round in his head as he tried to figure out how much I knew and how much Alice had told me. Thankfully he didn't say anything and finished up with his fish to put them in the freezer.

He washed up in the sink, and sat down at the table with us. I served dinner, and made sure I gave Alice the right steak. I'd stuck hers in under the broiler at the last minute to give it the appearance of being cooked but it was still very very rare. I wasn't a big fan of raw meat, and venison tartar didn't seem at all appealing to me. She seemed to enjoy it though, and Charlie appeared to be intrigued by watching her eat food with us.

"You really seem to be enjoying that." Charlie said to Alice with an obvious note of surprise in his voice. I wasn't sure if he could tell just how rare that steak was. "I thought your family was 'vegetarians'?" his voice held a note of accusation, as though watching her eat with us was giving the lie to something he'd been told.

"We call ourselves vegetarians, but it's kind of an inside joke because we have a very strict diet. We restrain ourselves from eating foods that we crave to maintain it. I suppose I'm the oddball at home. I like trying a lot of different things that none of the rest of my family will eat."

"What kinds of things do you like to try?" he asked, and I could feel his eyes flicking over to glance in my direction before he looked pointedly back at Alice. I knew what he was really asking.

"Oh, nothing I'm not allowed to try." Alice said nonchalantly between bites of her steak. I saw her eyes meet Charlie's, and he nodded in understanding. "We had Chinese food on New Years, and I actually got Jasper to try it with me. Bella has been getting me to try a lot of different foods lately."

"Hmm… Well, I guess that's a good thing. So what do you girls have planned for tonight?" Charlie asked.

"Alice asked me if I wanted to go bowling tonight, downtown." I chimed in, joining the conversation.

"Bowling, huh? Is that safe? There'll be other people around. You still have to throw the bowling ball down the alley at the pins don't you?" Charlie asked with a big grin on his face.

He was obviously recalling the last time he'd taken me bowling when we were on vacation in California two years ago. I knew I was blushing bright red as I considered the incident. I'd done a good job of repressing the memory until now. The people around us had cleared out and run for cover as the ball went back behind us in the wrong direction as often as it made it onto the lane in front of me. The attendant had to come and put the tubes in the gutters that they used for little kids so I even had a chance to knock down some of the pins. It had been fun, but it was obvious that I had no talent for the game. I had a feeling I would do better tonight.

"I think I can handle bowling." I said a little indignantly. "I'm not as clumsy as I used to be when I was little. I can control the ball now." I didn't elaborate on how I could control the ball.

"I'm sure that will be a relief to the rest of the people at the bowling alley. Ok, you girls have fun. Remember; tomorrow is a school day. So you'll be home by curfew, right?"

"Have I been later than we agreed or missed my curfew since I've been living here?"

"One night." Charlie said as his expression darkened and he glared at me.

"Yeah, by five minutes, and you knew where I was. You made me late."

"Ok, that one was on me, but you were the one that was where you shouldn't have been. You were lucky it was me."

"Fine. I'll be home on time."

I didn't want to argue with Charlie, and he seemed happier now that I hadn't seen Mike at all for a couple of weeks except for work. Charlie excused himself and got up from the table. He went out and turned on the TV, effectively ending the conversation. Alice helped me clear the table and dried while I washed the dishes.

I went up to my room to change my shirt, and then we left. I hadn't noticed Alice's car earlier when I came home. It was parked a little ways down the street behind the neighbor's pickup truck. I got into the passenger seat and Alice pulled away from the curb.

"So are you trying to tell Charlie that I know about you?" I asked once we were in the car. "I told you I don't want to have that conversation with him yet, Alice. Was that why you decided to bring venison for dinner?"

"Honestly, Bella, it never occurred to me that it was out of season. We eat a lot of venison, year round. We just don't always bring the meat home with us. I'm the only one that eats any of it. Usually we just leave it for the natural scavengers. You know, deer are really kind of boring. They're overpopulated in most of the United States with the decline in natural predators and they destroy a lot of crops. We are natural predators and fill a gap in the ecosystem. You wouldn't object if a mountain lion brought venison over for dinner."

"I wouldn't be inviting a mountain lion over for dinner."

"Same difference. I just have more interesting conversation skills."

"Ok… I still would prefer that Charlie doesn't know that I know about your family for now. That would lead to even more awkward conversations."

"He's going to figure it out eventually, Bella. He is a cop after all. He isn't stupid either."

"Maybe, but I'd prefer to wait for that day, preferably at some date in the distant future."

"Don't hold your breath. I have a feeling it'll be sooner than later. Besides, you were the one that said he'd freak out if you started to date Edward."

"I'm not dating Edward. I haven't even talked to him except for that one day he was at school. I assume he's returned home? I mean it would be hard to hang out with him if he's still in Alaska."

"Yes, he's home. He'll be at school tomorrow. He'll be at the bowling alley tonight with Jasper."

"And we're just going to conveniently show up too. Nice. Why are you trying to throw us together, Alice?"

"You saw those visions today. You too are just so right together. I think you're the one. He's been so sad for so long. You both looked happy. I'm not trying to do anything that you won't enjoy or that you don't want too."

"Alright, but we take this slow. I'm not saying I'm opposed to anything I saw happen with Edward in the visions, but I'm not jumping into anything right away…"

"That's fine. Take as much time as you need. Edward will need time too."

"Ok. You stopped me from asking you earlier. I still want to talk about what I was asking you when I got home today. There was one vision in particular…"

"The ritual with James?"

"No… I was looking into a mirror, but I didn't see myself. A different Bella was looking back at me. She was too pretty and her eyes were a dark orange shade of topaz. What did that mean?"

"You saw that…?" Alice glanced over at me a little apprehensively and then turned back to watch the road. She turned into the parking lot at the bowling alley and parked the car before she replied. "You already know what it means. What do you want me to say?"

"I was a vampire in that vision, Alice. Will it happen? When?"

"The future is subjective, Bella. It's constantly in motion and changes depending on thousands of individual decisions. If you decide you want it, it will happen. That's all I can say."

"Ok. I'm not saying I want it. I don't know what to think. I want to know more about it, I guess."

"Does it scare you? You know we'd never force you into anything, right?"

"No, it doesn't scare me, but it is a major life decision. It's not something you just jump into blindly."

"You'd be surprised. Most of us didn't have a choice, and it just happened."

"How can something that major not be a choice, Alice?"

"I told you about Carlisle's accident. Most of my family was turned like that. They were already dying, and Carlisle made the choice to save them like this instead of letting them die. I was born this way so I had no choice. Jasper was forced. He was recruited as a soldier to fight for his maker. It took him a long time to finally break away and escape to live on his own. He was living as a nomad before we met and I brought him home with me. Those of us that had a choice in the matter of their turning are a rarity among my kind."

"Oh…"

"Choice is a rare gift to be cherished. We will honor your decision, whatever it is, but one word of warning. Edward is a little touchy on the subject. Don't bring it up with him."

"Ok." I wondered why it was a touchy subject with him, but I knew it had driven a wedge between Edward and Sara. I'd leave it alone for now.

"Did you have any other questions before we go inside?"

"Just one. Edward was in a lot of the visions I saw today. I didn't see any other boys."

"That doesn't sound like a question, Bella." Alice said with a big grin on her face. "Apparently Edward will play a big part in your future. Whether you see any other boys is up to the two of you. It doesn't appear that you want to go out with any other boys. Do you?"

"No… I don't know. I haven't really given it much thought… I'm not looking for a relationship, Alice. I'm not getting stuck in Forks. I'm going to college after I graduate. I don't know if I'll even stay in Forks past my birthday…"

"John Lennon said 'Life is what happens to you while you're making plans to do something else'. You know we lived someplace else before we came to Forks too. We'll live someplace else after we leave. Don't over think it and just see what happens. I've been to college before, too, and I'm sure we'll go again. C'mon, let's go inside and embrace the future."

Alice got out of the car and she went around and got something out of the trunk. I sat for a minute thinking about what she'd said while she was busy, and then I opened my door and got out to follow her into the bowling alley. Why did her plans always have to match what I wanted to do anyhow?

"You embrace the future. I'll just bowl," I said and we walked inside.

I followed Alice to the counter and I rented bowling shoes. I expected her to put up more of a fuss until I realized she was carrying a bowling bag and didn't rent shoes of her own. It wasn't very crowded and she got us a lane. We walked down the three steps to the lanes and walked to the one we'd been assigned to at the counter.

I took off my coat and sat down to change into my bowling shoes. Alice opened her bag and of course she had her own designer bowling shoes to wear. She took her ball out of the bag, and polished it with a cloth before setting it on the ball return. I had a feeling this was going to be an interesting night.

"So, do you bowl much?" I asked.

She glanced around before answering, but there wasn't anyone around us, and she seemed to relax.

"Not so much in the last couple of decades. This was a lot more popular back in the forties and fifties. Jasper and I played on leagues back then and the boys got really competitive for a while. It kind of dropped out of vogue in the sixties and seventies. We still go out for fun every now and then, but we haven't joined a league in ages."

"Alice! You bowled on a league? I don't even know how to keep score! All I know is you try to knock down pins with the ball. I'm gonna look like a fool next to you guys."

"Just relax and breath, Bella. You didn't come here to prove how good you are at bowling. We're just hanging out and having fun, remember? Besides, I think you'll be able to keep up. Just take it easy and try not to smash the pins. Oh, and don't let the boys give you any grief about cheating. They all use all their advantages, so there's no reason you should hold back either."

"Fine. Let me see if I can find a ball to use…"

I got up and walked back to the racks of bowling ball across the back of the lanes and started to look for a ball that felt comfortable to my grip. Alice got up to warm up while I was looking. She held the ball confidently in front of her as she looked down the lane at the pins. She glanced down at her feet to see where she was standing, and then she danced forward toward the foul line with supreme grace. Her foot swept around behind her as her arm gracefully swept up into her follow through, and the ball flashed down the alley. It seemed to skim down the edge of the lane, and I was sure it was going to miss, but then it started to curve in toward the pins. It connected perfectly in the gap between the first and second pin and crashed through the formation scattering the pins as it drove into the back of the lane. Her first warm up shot of the night, and she was already throwing strikes.

I found a ball that didn't seem to terribly heavy and felt comfortable enough to my hand. I started back across the bowling alley when I saw Alice perk up and smile as she turned towards the door. I looked in that direction, and Jasper and Edward had just walked in. Jasper looked like he was in a good mood, but Edward seemed somewhat morose and brooding as he followed Jasper to the counter. Jasper was carrying a bag that matched Alice's, but Edward was renting shoes. They turned to head over to Alice about the time I got back to place my ball on the ball return.

Edward looked up as they approached, and seemed to notice my presence for the first time since they walked in. He caught my eye and we looked at each other for a minute as he froze in place. He turned to speak to Jasper for a second, and they seemed to briefly exchange some heated words. Then he turned on his heel and stormed off into the lounge. Jasper turned to watch him walk away, and then turned back to us and shrugged. He continued over to where we were waiting, and pulled Alice into his arms.

"I'm sorry darlin'. I tried, but you know how he is."

"I know. He'll get over it."

"What's wrong with Edward?" I asked. "Is he upset because I'm here? I can leave if you guys want to enjoy your evening out together…"

"No, he isn't upset because you're here." Jasper said. "He doesn't want to offend you again. We talked him into coming home, but now he feels that he needs to avoid you to prevent himself from making another mistake like the last one."

"He's just going to sit in there alone and avoid us all night?"

"That's his plan." Alice said.

"And what's he going to do at school? Pretend I don't exist and just sit there in silence and brood?"

"Are you sure you haven't met Edward before?" Jasper asked. "You seem to understand him pretty well for having just met. That's exactly what he'll do."

"Huh. We'll see about that." I got up and walked across the bowling alley toward the lounge.

I glanced back, and Alice had a huge grin on her face. Jasper just smiled at me encouragingly. I didn't really know what I was going to say, but I wasn't going to let this go on. It was bad enough that I had driven Edward away from his family. I wasn't going to let him sit and brood and play the martyr on my account. I walked back into the lounge and Edward was sitting at the same booth Alice and I had shared the last time we were here.

I slid into the booth on the seat opposite him, and at first he looked startled that I had come to find him, but then a look of resignation stole across his features. I could tell he was expecting a repeat of our previous encounter, and he was steeling himself for my rebuke of his behavior. Perhaps he thought I was angry with him for entering my presence after he had promised to stay away.

"I'm not mad at you, Edward," I said and his expression dissolved into surprise. "I just wanted to apologize to you. I didn't mean to drive you from your home and family. You didn't have to leave on my account."

"You have nothing to apologize for Bella, and you had every right to be incensed and furious over my actions. I am the one that should be begging for your forgiveness…"

"But you thought it would be better to just avoid the issue and pretend I didn't exist."

"I am the one that should not exist…"

"Look, Edward, we both said and did things in the heat of the moment that we both regret. I understand what happened better now, and I'm in a better place. Why don't we just put that day behind us and start over, ok?"

"You would be willing to overlook what I did? You can forgive me that most heinous transgression?"

"I can forgive, but I don't forget easily. As long as it doesn't happen again, I'd like to move past this. Alice is my friend, and I get along rather well with Jasper. I'd like to get to know you better if you'll allow that."

"I'd like to know you better as well. Thank you for offering me a second chance… Does this mean you'd be willing to go out with me now?"

"Let's take this one step at a time and work up to that. Ok? I'll let you buy me a drink if you'd like, but I'm going to go out and give this bowling thing a try. Alice seems to think I'll have fun. Why don't you join us, and we can all hang out for a while?"

"Alright. Let's bowl. I'll get you that drink, and meet you back with the others?"

"Sounds like a plan, Edward."

"What are you drinking?"

"I'd take a beer, but I doubt that would go over too well here. Surprise me. I'm willing to experiment."

Edward nodded and I got up and went back out to rejoin Alice and Jasper. Jasper just gave a resigned sigh when I came back alone, but Alice had a knowing smile pasted onto her face. Alice had been busy getting setup, and she had all of our names programmed into the automatic score keeper computer. I wasn't sure if it was her talent or an optimistic attitude that had lead her to include Edward's name as well.

"I talked to him. He's going to join us in a minute." I said.

"Really? That fast and you just talked to him? You must have some powerful magic darlin'. I've been talking to him for years, and I never broke him out of one of these moods that fast."

"Oh it's a powerful magic alright." Alice said. "It's as old as men and women and more powerful than any spell you'll ever cast."

I just shrugged, but I could feel the blush spread across my cheeks as I turned red and smiled.

"Bella, why don't you warm up and try a couple of practice throws while we wait?" Alice said. "Remember, don't smash the pins. This is more about finesse than power."

I nodded and walked over to the ball return and stood by the ball I'd selected for a minute. Alice had said not to hold back, and I knew I could do this with a little help. It couldn't be too much different from gym class, and I could dominate there if I wanted to. I closed my eyes and concentrated for a second as I willed the field into existence around my legs and feet that helped me to move more gracefully without falling down. I reached out for the ball, and it jumped the last half inch into my hand.

I glided onto the hardwood surface of the lane, and my feet barely skimmed the surface as I pretended to walk. I wasn't really sure where to stand to start my approach. There was a row of arrows and dots inlaid into the wooden surface in a darker wood, and now I knew what Alice had looked down at to pick her spot where she stood. I held the ball in front of me, and tried to imitate the graceful approach to the foul line that Alice had used to throw her strike, but I knew it a shoddy parody compared to her graceful dance to the line.

My timing was off, and the ball wouldn't have even made it to the pins without wobbling into the gutter if I didn't take control of the situation. I was used to a much lighter ball that was flying through the air. I'd never tried to control a ball rolling on a surface before. It felt stiff and lethargic, and I think I over compensated. The ball had only moved a couple of feet away from my hand when I started to move it. I accelerated the spin and injected some energy into ball as I tried to guide it.

The ball took off and flashed down the lane much faster than I expected. I only had a second to direct it, and then it collided squarely with the lead pin. There was a crash of splintering wood as the pin exploded into flying shards of wood and the ball smashed through the formation followed by a metallic crash as it slammed through the ball return machinery. I felt the building shake as the ball slammed into the cinder block back wall of the bowling alley. At least it didn't appear to have punched a hole through the wall to keep going into the lot behind the building.

"Oops…" I squeaked, embarrassed as I blushed past my ears and turned back to look at Alice and Jasper.

Alice was shaking her head, and Jasper looked at me in awe. I'd been getting that a lot lately.

"Jasper?" Alice said.

"Right, I'm on it," and he jumped up and strode purposefully toward the door into the back of the lanes. He disappeared through the door, and I had to assume he was going back there trying to cover up the damage I had caused.

"Ok, that was a good start. You've definitely got the power thing down. Now you just need to work on control. Don't worry, it'll go better now that you know what to expect."

"You want me to do that again?" I asked incredulously. "Shouldn't we be running for the door or something?"

"Don't worry so much, Bella. Jasper has it under control. It isn't like we haven't been here before. We did teach Emmett how to bowl, after all. We had to buy a bowling alley for that project. You can't imagine how much machinery and bowling pins he destroyed before he got the hang of it. You won't be anywhere near as difficult."

The pinsetter cycled as she spoke setting up the next frame of pins, and my ball came rolling back up onto the ball return. It didn't look too much the worse for wear, but it had been pretty scarred up before I got a hold of it.

"Go ahead and try it again. A little less power this time, and don't try and hit the first pin dead on. Aim for the pocket between the first pin and the second row. Remember; finesse, not power."

I looked at her, and she was serious. I sighed and picked up the ball to try it again. I didn't pour as much power into the ball this time, and it rolled a little slower giving me more time to direct it. I aimed for the pocket like Alice had suggested, but it hit too far back, and a couple of pins didn't fall down.

"I did it! Did you see that, Alice?" I was so excited I was bouncing up and down like Alice.

"That's excellent, Bella, but calm down before somebody notices."

Alice seemed a little excited as she looked back and forth to see if anyone was watching us, and I took stock of what I was doing. I realized in my excitement I was floating three inches off the ground from where I'd stopped when I was jumping up and down. I quickly slid over to the seats by Alice and made sure my feet were on the ground before I sat down.

"Sorry. I was excited…"

"It's ok. Nobody saw."

"Nobody saw what?" Edward asked as he walked up behind us carrying a tray with drinks.

His previous demeanor had changed, and he was smiling now as he handed me a tall glass. I had to admit I was a little disappointed as I accepted the frosty glass. I had expected something different from him as I took the tall glass that looked like iced tea. I was thirsty after my display on the bowling alley and I took a big drink of the seemingly innocent looking beverage.

"Bella was excited about her new bowling prowess," Alice informed him as he sat down in the seat next to me, and I fought to keep from spraying my drink onto everyone.

I guess I should have known better. There was very little tea in that iced tea and it took a supreme effort of will to keep from sputtering and gagging as I tried to catch my breath. I took a smaller sip, and it was really rather good after I was over my first initial shock. I set the glass down in a cup holder on the scoring table, and reached for my purse to get out a cigarette.

I was trying to decide if it was safe to just light it with my finger tips when Edward reached over with a lighter and offered me a light. I let him light my cigarette for me, and I took a big drag as I sat back to relax and blow out the smoke.

"There isn't much tea in that drink, is there? What is it?" I asked. Alice chucked, and Edward smiled at my naiveté. I wasn't disappointed anymore. He had been kind of creative and had risen to the challenge. I had been expecting another rum and coke but this was different and better.

"There isn't any tea in it actually," he said. "It's called a long island iced tea, but it's actually a mixture of vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec, some sweet and sour mix, and a splash of coke. It does look like an iced tea, and I've been told it tastes a bit like one too. Maybe that's from the lemon wedge."

Ok, that was a potent mix. I knew I'd better make it last, or we'd have silly Bella and irate Charlie to deal with. I took another small sip, and it did go down rather smooth. I hardly noticed the alcohol, and it tasted good. Definitely a keeper, but it would sneak up on you if you weren't careful.

Jasper came back to the seats at the head of the lane with us, and we started a real game. Somehow I ended up teamed up with Edward as we all took our turns. I honestly didn't care about the score and just tried to concentrate on how I was bowling, but it was still a close game. I could feel the competitiveness between Edward and Jasper as they each tried to out do the other.

We laughed and had fun. I was starting to get the hang of this by the second game. I could see what Alice meant about finesse as I focused on keeping my feet on the ground and not driving the ball through the back wall of the bowling alley. My aim was improving, and Edward came out with me and explained about what the marks on the lane meant. He showed me where to stand to aim for different areas of the pin formation, and it helped my game even though I was directing the ball for most of the throw.

I had to admit, I felt a thrill and my heart was racing when Edward placed his hands on my hips and showed me where to stand. I felt an electric buzz shoot down my spine and goose bumps broke out on my skin as he stood behind me and held my wrist to show me a better way to move and release the ball more smoothly. My mind wasn't on bowling at all while I stood so close to him with his hands showing me how to move and his cool sweet breathe on my neck as he spoke softly into my ear.

There was no funny business this time, and he was honestly trying to be helpful. I wasn't sure how much it improved my game, as distracted as I was just being close to him, but it was definitely an enjoyable experience letting him help me. The night seemed to fly by, and all too soon Alice was changing out of her shoes, and telling me I needed to go and turn mine back in. I looked at the clock on the wall, and I wondered where the night had gone.

"Can I drive you home, Bella?" Edward was asking me as I stood at the counter with Alice. I wanted to say yes, but Alice spoke up before I could respond.

"Not tonight, Edward. We have to take this one step at a time. Charlie will be waiting up for her, and he won't react well if you drop her off. He's just starting to accept me."

Damn. Alice was right. Charlie would go ballistic if I showed up at home with Edward tonight. We went outside and walked toward the cars. Edward's silver Volvo was parked next to Alice's yellow Porsche.

"I sure you're correct, Alice. I'm sorry, Bella. I spoke out of turn…"

"No, it's alright, Edward… I would have said yes, but Alice is right. I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

"As long as you want me to be there, then I will be."

"Ok, then I'll see you in Biology tomorrow. Good night, Edward." I stood there wondering if he'd try to kiss me, but it was too soon, and we were just being friends right now. He held the door for me and I got into Alice's car.

I watched as Edward and Jasper got into the Volvo, and then we were driving away. I stared at their car until they were out of sight, and then leaned back against the seat with a heavy sigh. I was disappointed that he was gone, but I was smiling, and I felt good about the night. I actually missed him, and was looking forward to seeing him in school tomorrow.

"So, maybe he's not such an ogre, after all? Hmm…? You had fun, right?"

"Ok… I'll admit it. I had fun tonight."

"And you'll go out with him again?"

"I haven't gone out with him yet. This wasn't a date, Alice. We were just hanging out having fun…"

"But if he asked you, you'd say yes?"

"Maybe…"

"Bella!" Alice whined. "You know you want too!"

"Alright, Alice. He was nice tonight, and I had fun. I think Edward can be a nice guy when he tries, but he certainly doesn't have much going for him in the commitment department, and I'm not looking for a couple of random hookups…"

"Then what the hell was that you were doing with Mike?"

"That was different. You and I both know it wouldn't be like that with Edward. I'm not saying we can't have some fun, but I'm not going to be the next set of notches on his bed post before he moves on to the next girl. He can't make me forget what we do or compel my mind and besides, what am I going to do about Charlie? He knows, Alice. I can't start dating Edward without Charlie going ape shit. What do I do about that?"

"If you like Edward enough, then you sit down and tell your dad you know too."

"Alice, are you nuts? He'd lock me in my room and nail the door shut! He wouldn't let me out again until I'm thirty-five!"

"Could that keep you in if you didn't want it to?"

"No…"

"Then you have to tell him everything…"

"I am so not ready to have that talk with Charlie…"

"So you can talk to your dad about your sex life and have him pick up your birth control pills for you, but you're afraid to tell him you're a witch, and you want to date a vampire?"

I winced just listening to Alice say it like that. I really didn't like that particular description for what I did. I knew there were people out there that did consider themselves to be witches, but I didn't think that term truly applied to me or what I could do.

"Excuse me, but I don't have a sex life yet. Still a virgin over here, and can we use the word mage, Alice? Witch has a lot of religious overtones, and it doesn't really apply to what I do."

"Semantics. So you're a technical virgin. You've done everything but go all the way, and how long can that last? Fooling around is still fooling around. You kiss boys while you're naked and get off, then you're having sex. You're lying to yourself if you think you aren't. And what's wrong with the word witch? You both channel energy to work magick. Besides, I don't mind if you call me a vampire, although in my world that just applies to dangerous nomads that eat people."

"I know, Alice. That word just bothers me…"

"Stick to the subject, Bella. Why don't you want to tell your father? Is he going to throw you out, or think less of you? He seems to be pretty accepting of the supernatural world, all things considered. It's not like he hasn't worked with people that use magick before. Your house does have some pretty hefty wards around it. That doesn't happen without him knowing about it."

"Ok… So how much does Charlie really know about you guys? I mean I know he knows you're vampires. I know he thinks you hunt animals to survive. Does he know you need human blood to survive too? When we talk about you guys, he just keeps telling me that he doesn't approve of your dating habits. Does he know what happens on your dates?"

"Charlie's a big boy, Bella. He knows what happens when two people are alone in the dark…"

"Don't avoid the subject, Alice. Does he know about the biting and what you need to do to survive?"

"The subject hasn't come up. I think he suspects, but we've been helpful, and he's starting to believe we aren't as dangerous as the nomads we've help him hunt down. He knows that there are 'civilized vampires' now that live around people without eating them. Carlisle has explained a little about some of the urges that we try to suppress, and how our sex drive affects us. He knows that everything is voluntary, and we don't force anyone to do anything."

"Great, so if I start dating Edward, Charlie is going to assume I'm having sex with him."

"Well, isn't that kind of the whole point of going out with him in the first place? He assumed that was what you were doing with Mike…"

"And I set him straight too. This is a big step for me Alice… You might be seventy-five in an eighteen year olds body… hell, you're a married woman, but this is all new to me. It scares me to think about having to talk to Charlie about these things. I know he just wants to keep me safe and do what's right for me… I know I'm probably just trying to put off talking to him because I'm a coward at heart when it comes to my dad, but I need some time…"

"You've been pretty brave every other time you had something important to discuss with him. You just need to get it over with. It's like ripping off a band aid. Picking at it a little at a time and dragging it out just makes it worse. Just do it and get it over with, and you'll feel better."

"Maybe… I keep hoping he'll bring the subject up, and say something or let something slip. Every other time we talked, we had common experiences that we were sharing. It was easy to not let him get away with 'do what I say, not what I did.' I wasn't going to accept a double standard for my behavior. I was only doing the same things him and my mom had done when they were my age. This is new territory. He hasn't done any of this. We don't have a common frame of reference besides him thinking you're dangerous and me knowing you aren't."

"We are dangerous, Bella…"

"Yeah, but not so much to me. I'd prefer to wait to talk to him about this until I have too."

"I can keep dropping hints if you like, but I really think it would be better if you two just sat down and had an honest conversation. What are you going to do, wait until Edward asks you out again, and then spring it on your dad five minutes before he comes to pick you up?"

Alice pulled up to the curb in front of Charlie's house and parked, but she didn't shut off the motor.

"I don't even know if I am going to go out with Edward, Alice…"

"You will. Trust me, it's going to happen. Just don't let this thing with your dad drag everything out forever. The sooner you get it over with, the better."

"I know… I'm just not ready to bring it up yet. I'll see you in school tomorrow, g'night Alice."

I got out of the car and closed the door before she could say anymore. Alice pulled away from the curb and I walked up to the house. The porch light was on, and I could see the front curtains flutter as I reached for the doorknob. I walked into the house and Charlie was sitting in his chair trying to pretend he'd been watching TV all along, but I knew better.

"G'night, dad." I said as I closed the door behind me and turned toward the stairs. I'm really tired…" I tried to make it to the stairs and dash up to my room, but I didn't quite make it.

"Hold on, Bella. Let's talk to you for a minute. I haven't seen you all day. Did you have fun tonight?"

"Sure, it was great… I told you I'd be home before my curfew…" I said from the foot of the stairs so he wouldn't smell my breath. He said he was cool with it, but that didn't mean I wanted to flaunt it in front of him. Part of the deal was not getting caught.

"I worry about you when you're out with Alice. You know, you have other friends here now too."

I knew why he worried when I was with Alice, but I wasn't about to step into that minefield. I sidestepped the issue, and simply told the truth.

"I spent all day with Angela, Haley and Michaela, dad. I was with them at Ang's house until I came home to fix dinner. Alice met me here right before you got home. Sara had plans tonight so I decided to tag along with Alice."

"Oh… I didn't know."

"It was really fun. I think I'm finally coming out of my shell and leaving clumsy Bella in the past. I haven't even been to the emergency room yet since I moved here. This is a record for me." I knocked on the wooden banister rail so I wouldn't jinx myself. It was kind of nice not falling down all the time and hurting myself for once in my life.

"Ok. I thought you were with Alice all day. I guess it's good that you've made some friends here. I like Angela."

"She's a good friend, but she has a steady boyfriend. She spends most of her time with him."

"Doesn't Alice have a boyfriend too? She seems to spend an awful lot of time with you."

"Umm… Jasper met us at the bowling alley. Alice and Jasper used to bowl on a league. I learned a lot from them tonight. I really need to hit the sack, dad. I'll see you in the morning. Ok?"

"Fine, Bella. I'm bushed too. I'm heading up as soon as this show is over. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." Charlie turned back to the sports news show he was watching.

I took that as my cue, and dashed up the stairs before he could ask me anymore questions about my night. I ducked into my room and grabbed my things to get ready for bed, and then dashed into the bathroom to brush my teeth and change into my pajamas. I went back to my room and got my cell phone out of my purse so I could plug it into the charger for the night.

I pulled back the covers and sat down on the edge of the bed as I reached for the end of the charger cord. I was about to plug it in when the phone rang. I could think of only one person who would have such perfect timing, and I didn't even look at the caller ID as I flipped the phone open to answer it.

"Hello, Alice. Yes, I had fun tonight. What's so important that it won't wait until morning?"

"_Good evening, Bella. I'm glad you had fun tonight. I can get Alice for you, if you'd prefer to talk to her…"_

"Oh… Hello, Edward. No, I don't need Alice… How did you get this number?"

"_I got it from Alice. Actually she programmed it into all of our phones, just as I'm sure you must have all of our numbers in your contacts as well by now. I'm sorry I startled you. I can call back if this isn't a good time."_

"No, it's alright. I was just surprised at the coincidence. I happened to have my phone in my hand. I figured it was Alice calling to talk about tonight."

"_She does have a tendency to call at opportune times like that. In fact she seems to be amused by the coincidence from the laughter down the hall. Then again, that could be Jasper's fault. Uhgg… yes, definitely Jasper's fault. She's clearly not thinking about either of us right now."_

I didn't even want to know what she was thinking about. Just hearing about it was too much information.

"So, Edward, what did you have on your mind?"

"_When we were talking earlier this evening we both agreed that we'd like to get to know each other better. Our time together at the bowling alley seemed to fly by too fast. I didn't want to let you go, but I knew I had too. I thought maybe we could talk for a while. You don't have to if you'd prefer to get to sleep. I just didn't want to wait until tomorrow to talk to you again."_

"Oh… Ok. I'd like that. What would you like to talk about?"

"_Why don't you tell me some more about yourself? You grew up in Phoenix? What was that like?"_

"Sunny, hot and dry."

"_As opposed to Forks, which is cloudy, cold and wet?"_

I lay back in bed and pulled up the covers as we chatted. I didn't normally feel comfortable talking about myself, but Edward had a way of putting me at ease and drawing information out of me that I probably wouldn't have simply volunteered. I don't know why I was telling him the story of my life, but it seemed natural to share stories with him.

I was glad we were having this conversation over the phone. It would have been too easy to simply melt in his arms if we were together trying to talk like this. I imagined there would have been a lot less talking involved.

We discussed the years I had spent in Phoenix, and the earlier years of my life when I was a small child and we had lived with my grandparents in California. I asked him about his life and he shared some stories about some of the places he'd lived over the years. We talked about movies we both liked, and some we didn't like. He asked me about the books I'd read, and was able to easily discuss all of them with me in exhaustive detail. We talked about our music preferences, and all the little things that people want to find out when they're getting to know each other.

I had turned out the light on my night stand when I heard Charlie come upstairs so he wouldn't peek in and check on me, but I knew he had to have long since gone to sleep. I lost track of time as we talked for hours. It seemed natural, and I laughed quietly at the stories Edward told. He laughed at some of my stories too, but I didn't mind. I knew he was truly touched by the humor in the situations and wasn't laughing at me.

Eventually the hours caught up with me and I must have started to nod off.

"_Bella? Are you still there?"_ I heard Edward ask.

"Yes, I'm still here… I'm sorry, what were you asking?" Even I could tell how tired I sounded, but I didn't want to let him go.

"_I asked what kind of car you wanted to buy, and how your search was going. I sorry, it's getting late. Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time? I should let you get some sleep before school starts."_

"Ok… Good night, Edward. I'll see you at school…" I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep

"_Good night, Bella," _was the last thing I remembered hearing as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	13. Chapter 13 So Not an Ogre

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Sorry it's been a while since I've added a chapter. I can't really say that I have any excuses. I'm still working on all of these projects, but I haven't been putting as much time into them as I was before.

The basketball tournaments I was managing are done now, but I'm still putting a lot of free time into WoW. I did manage to level my mage to 65, and I have to say the flight masters license is awesome.

On that note, on with the story…

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 13 So Not an Ogre

I didn't remember even closing my phone. I never did manage to get it plugged into the charger that night. In fact it was lying open in the bed next to me when the alarm went off much too early a couple of hours later.

I finally managed to drag myself out of bed after the third time I hit the snooze bar on the clock radio. Charlie actually had to stick his head in through the door to check on me and see if I was getting up. I wasn't going to let that become a routine, and I dragged my butt out of bed and trudged down the hall to the bathroom to run through my morning routine.

I felt almost human again after I had a shower and brushed my teeth. I just pulled my hair up into a pony tail today. I was too worn out to go to anymore effort with my hair after I ran a brush through it, but I did manage to get the bare essentials of my makeup done. One look in the mirror, and I knew I couldn't skip it. It took me longer than usual, but it was a necessary effort. Edward was going to be back today, and I didn't want to look like I didn't care.

The big question was why did I care? I had had fun last night, and then we had talked on the phone for hours, but I knew his track record. What was Edward looking for out of this? What was I looking for from Edward? Was this his standard MO for all of the girls he dated? Did he treat them all like this? Michaela had said he took her to dinner in Seattle. They had gone dancing, shared a bottle of champagne and ended up in a hotel room together. He had been all too happy to buy me a drink last night. She never said if they talked on the phone. I needed more information.

I knew I wasn't ready to date him yet. Would he still be willing to be friends with me if I wasn't ready to trust him enough to be alone with him yet? Things had moved much too fast with Mike, and I wasn't going to let that happen again. I knew I needed time if this was going to work. Alice had said Edward needed time too. Needing time didn't sound like the way he usually operated so maybe it would work out.

Charlie was still downstairs in the kitchen when I finally made my appearance. I silently thanked Sara again for showing me the movement spell that prevented me from falling down all the time. It probably saved me from a broken neck as I absentmindedly slid down the stairs and floated across the floor into the kitchen disguising my movement as a slouching shuffle. I went directly to the coffee pot and poured my first cup of the day. I added sugar and enough milk to cool it down to drink comfortably and then fell into a chair at the table.

"How are you this morning, Bells?" Charlie asked me suspiciously as he took in my bloodshot eyes and the way I hunched over my cup of coffee. "Are you hung over?"

"No, I'm just not awake yet. I didn't sleep very well last night," I lied. I had slept just fine. I just didn't sleep long enough, but I didn't want to answer any questions about why. The alcohol was a non-issue. I wasn't such a light weight that one drink was going to get me drunk and puking the next morning.

Charlie just nodded, but I could tell he was keeping an eye on me. I tried to ignore it and I grabbed a pop tart when I got up to pour my second cup of coffee. If I was hung over I wouldn't be eating and drinking, I'd be searching for the Tylenol.

"So, semester grades are supposed to coming out next week," Charlie said. I hadn't really been giving it much thought. I'd started halfway through the term and if they averaged in the grades from my records from phoenix my GPA would still suck. Then a thought struck me.

"How do you know that the semester grades are coming out? We haven't gotten any mail from the school… Are you checking up on me?"

"No, not really… Mrs. Cope was at the diner the other day and she was talking about all the paperwork they have to do for grades and report cards."

"Oh. My grades will still suck if they count my record from Phoenix."

"I told you what happened in Phoenix stays in Phoenix. I had a talk with Principal Rupprect. They aren't averaging in your grades from your records, or counting anything from the term before you enrolled. Your report card will only reflect the work that you've done since you got here."

I was speechless for a minute as I stared at him. Then my mind was furiously going over all the work I remembered turning in since I'd gotten here. We were having our semester tests this week. If I aced them, and they didn't count my previous record, then I was should have my 4.0 GPA back. I had figured I'd have to wait until the end of the next term to get my grades back on track.

Normally I wasn't given to strong displays of emotion. I got it from my dad, but I was too excited. I jumped out of my chair, and hugged Charlie around the neck.

"Thanks, dad, that's great!" I exclaimed as Charlie turned red. I knew he was getting uncomfortable so I let him go and sat on the edge of my seat. "I told you not to pull anymore strings for me at the school…" But I didn't really care and I was smiling at him.

"I'm not. I set this up when I enrolled you. Just thought you'd want to know."

"Alright, but I'm a big girl now, dad. I can stand on my own two feet. Thank you, I appreciate this."

"I know, but you're still my daughter. I'm supposed to look out for you. Besides, what good is it being Chief of Police if I can't enjoy the perks? Anyhow, it seems we made a deal a while back… Are we going to need to be going car shopping soon, or did you wipe out your savings with that shopping spree?"

"Nope, most of the savings is still there. Car shopping is definitely still in the picture."

"Good. It happens that a friend of mine has a car he's trying to sell…"

I didn't like the sound of that. I knew the kind of car Charlie would want to try and buy for me. Probably something ancient and slow that got horrible gas mileage. He'd buy me something safe and limiting.

That simply wouldn't do. The object of this exercise was to buy something that would give me more freedom to get out of town to the other cities around the peninsula, not tie me to Forks because I was afraid to drive it out of town.

"Don't even tell me that you already bought it, unless you can get your money back."

"No, I…" I could see that look of panic in his eyes, and I knew he'd at least already made some sort of deal.

"I'll look at it, but I have certain criteria in mind for any car I'm putting money down on. First I want something that's low maintenance so I don't spend a fortune to keep it on the road. Second, I'd prefer something built in this century so it gets decent gas mileage. I'm willing to be flexible and extend that to the late nineties. Anything older than that is out, unless it's a classic or collectors item. I want a car I can drive to Port Angeles or Seattle on one tank of gas and not have to worry if it'll make it there and back."

Charlie sighed, and I could tell he was disappointed. "Fine, but I still want you to look at Billy's truck… Maybe you'll like it anyhow."

"A truck?" Not in this lifetime. "I'll look, but does it even meet any of my requirements? I'd really prefer something with a back seat so I can carry some passengers if I go out of town."

"I guess not. Well at least look at it. Have you found anything you're interested in?"

"I hadn't been seriously looking yet. I thought I'd have to wait until the end of next term. I guess now I have a better idea of my time frame. If I find something I like, can we go look at it, say next Sunday? Report cards should be out by the middle of next week, but I'll probably have to work on Saturday."

"Sure, Bells. I'll let Billy know."

"Well don't get his hopes up. I'm not a truck kind of girl, dad, and I doubt anything except a new truck off the lot would get any kind of decent gas mileage."

"Fine, Bells. Well, I guess I better get going. See you for dinner?"

"Sure, dad, I'll be with Sara after school, but I'll see you at dinner. Bye."

Charlie left and I got up and rinsed out my cup in the sink. I set it in the drying rack and I grabbed my things for school. I shrugged into my coat and went out onto the porch to have a cigarette while I waited for Angela. It wasn't a very long wait and I crushed out my cigarette in the ash tray before I walked down to the curb and got into the car. We picked up Haley and Sara, but I just slouched in my seat and dozed for most of the short trip to the school.

Somebody was poking me in the shoulder, and I jerked upright in the seat. How did we get to school so fast? It was a short trip, but we were here already?

"Bella? Wake up, we're here," Angela said.

"Why is Edward Cullen standing in front of the car?" Haley asked "Is he waiting for us?"

"Edward?" I asked. I looked out the windshield. Edward was standing on the sidewalk in front of the car, apparently waiting for us to get out.

"Umm… I went bowling with Alice, Jasper and Edward last night after dinner." I said. "Maybe I forgot something."

"Did you talk to them about what we discussed yesterday?" Angela asked.

"It came up in conversation. I discussed it with Alice." Angela just nodded.

"You went out with Edward last night?" Sara asked. I glanced back at her, and saw the huge smirk on her face.

"No, it wasn't a date. I just hung out with his family. We can be friends, can't we?"

"Guys like Edward don't have girls as friends," Haley said. "But he has lots of girlfriends, if you know what I mean." I knew exactly what she meant. I had no intention of being one of those girlfriends, but I did want to be Edward's friend if we could get past the trust issues.

I sighed as we got out of the car. This was going to be a long day if Edward was paying attention to me in school. Haley and Sara were looking back and forth between Edward and me expectantly. I had a sinking feeling that we were going to be the center of attention all day. Angela just got out of the car and was looking at Edward with mild anticipation.

"Good morning, Edward," Angela said. "I think we should talk soon."

"Yes, so I hear. I'll see what I can arrange." Then Edward turned to me. "I would like to consider myself to be your friend if you'll allow it." He waited until I stepped onto the sidewalk, and handed me a large paper cup surrounded by another thicker cardboard sleeve and a domed plastic sippy lid on top.

"What's this?" I asked, surprised that he was even meeting me let alone bringing me something.

"Alice informed me that I'm not allowed to keep you up so late at night. I felt it was only appropriate that I bring you something to help you make it through the morning."

"You brought me two more hours of sleep?"

"No, but I've been informed that this is the next best thing. It's a double mocha latte with an extra shot of espresso."

I took a sip and it was heavenly. Pleasantly warm, but not too hot to drink, and whoever had fixed it had remembered the whipped cream and extra sugar the way I liked it.

"Thank you, this is perfect." I really wondered where he had gotten it from. It wasn't in a Starbuck's cup, but it looked and tasted professional. Not like something you'd throw together at home. "You didn't drive all the way to Port Angeles, did you?"

The fact that there were supposed to be other people around us completely slipped my mind, and I walked along side Edward as we headed toward the school building. It wasn't raining this morning but a heavy mist hung in the air giving everything a damp feeling. I was oblivious to the fact that I hated the cold and damp while I was in Edward's presence.

"I didn't need to. There's a small Espresso bar in Forks over on Forks Avenue. It's only a couple of blocks from here across the street from the Forks Coffee shop. They have a drive up window."

"Alright… I guess I remember seeing it, but it didn't really register at the time what it was."

"Hmm… Perhaps they need to invest in more advertising or better more eye catching signage."

We entered the building, and I realized Edward was escorting me to my locker. I opened it when we got there and collected the books I'd need for the morning.

"May I?" Edward asked as he relieved me of my bag, leaving my hands free to concentrate on my coffee.

"Are you walking me to my class?" I asked. Edward wasn't in it, and I didn't know what his first class was. I didn't want to make him late.

"Certainly… if you don't mind me accompanying you. I enjoy spending time with you, Bella, As long as you're willing to suffer my presence."

We started down the hall together. My attention was mostly on Edward, but I was starting to notice how people stared. Some appeared to be shocked while the majority that were paying us attention seemed to take it as a matter of course that the new girl had finally succumbed to the one of the Cullen's charm.

"I don't want to make you late for your class, Edward."

"My teacher won't mind."

"Because you'll be on time, or because you'll make them not care?"

"If you're truly concerned about my well being, then I'll be on time. Promptness and punctuality are virtues."

"Actually I was more worried about your teacher's well being… I talked to Alice about that, and I understand, but I guess I don't really like it."

"Then I'll simply be on time, or suffer the consequences of my tardiness."

"I don't want you to be tardy on my account…" Edward handed me my bag outside the classroom, and I paused to stare up into his eyes.

"I won't be, but you'd be worth it if I was." I could feel the heat in my face, and I knew I was blushing in response to his words. "Try and enjoy your morning, Bella. I'm sorry I kept you up so late. I'll see you this afternoon."

"It was worth it." I stepped through the door and walked back to where the girls were saving me a seat.

Angela, Sara, Haley and Michaela were sitting together like we usually did, but today they seemed to be watching me a little more expectantly as I walked down the aisle way between the desks. There was a seat next to Michaela and I sat down beside her.

"So, you and Cullen, huh?" Michaela said with a smirk. "Are you guys together now?" She didn't ask me if we were dating, but I knew what she meant.

"No, nothing like that. We're just friends…"

"Like you and Mike were just friends?"

"That isn't going to happen…"

"Uh huh, sure, Bella. Keep telling yourself that. Edward isn't friends with girls. He dates girls…a lot of girls. He has a very specific idea of what that relationship should be like."

"Umm… what was that like? I mean dating Edward. You said you went out with Edward before. Did you guys talk a lot on the phone?"

"No… We talked a lot at dinner when we went out, but we never talked on the phone. He never even called me. I don't think he's ever called a girl on the phone. At least not that I've heard about… If he did, he'd have to constantly keep changing his number. Girls would be calling him all the time to find out if they were going out again."

"So how did he ask you out if he didn't call you? Don't most guys try and get your phone number so they can call to ask you out?"

"Edward isn't most guys. We talked in school, at the drive-in, at the races… different places where we both showed up, but it was always face to face."

"So, did he bring you things?" I asked as I glanced at the coffee I was still holding. I took a sip and waited for her response.

"We're talking about Edward Cullen here, right? No, he never brought me anything. Edward's not like that…" I saw Michaela glance at the coffee cup too.

"It was like one day he didn't even acknowledge the fact that I existed. Then somehow I guess I showed up on his radar. I don't know why he picked me. One day he just decided to talk to me, and he asked me out to dinner. I guess I said yes more out of curiosity than anything else, but nobody ever says no when Edward asks them out." I could think of one person.

"I guess I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The rest is history. We went out a couple of times and had some fun, and then Edward was history. It was like I didn't exist again."

"And you were ok with that?" Michaela seemed confused for a minute, like she was asking herself the same question.

"…yeah… I guess so… I never really thought about it before. It seemed normal…"

It seemed like anything but normal to me. Guys might date different girls in school, but what Edward and the rest of the Cullens were getting away with was way beyond normal. At least without leaving a string of broken hearts and irate ex's hunting their asses down. Not to mention all the irate parents. Well, I guess there was some of that going on, but a lot less than I'd expect.

Sara had been following the conversation from the grin I could see on her face. I wanted to get her take on all of this too, but I wasn't going to talk to her here. She knew things about the Cullens the other girls didn't and we couldn't discuss them in front of everyone in the classroom. I could tell Mrs. Jensen was displeased with our conversation so we shut up and paid attention to the rest of the class.

I was likewise quiet in government class. I had finished my coffee and disposed of the cup before my next class started. I still sat between Mike and Alice, but Mike was content with the platonic nature of our friendship now. Alice was conspicuously quiet for once, but I could see the ghost of a smile playing about the corners of her mouth when she caught me glancing in her direction.

Government class was kind of boring for me. I didn't want to come off as a know it all, but in this instance I really did already know it all. I'd read the book, and Mr. Reese followed the text almost too predictably. He had given the class a copy of the syllabus, and I had my assignments done for a month in advance.

Trig was a little more interesting. Mr. Varner droned on for the first part of the class, and I tried to pay attention. This was the one class where I had difficulty understanding the material. Literature, reading, languages and English made sense to me. Subjects like Government, Psychology, and things that dealt with relationships between groups of people were easy. Biology, chemistry and the other sciences came to me with some study, but the more math required, the harder they were to grasp. I dreaded the thought of taking physics next year. Maybe physiology would be a better choice. My brain just didn't seem to grasp the concept of mathematics and I struggled with the material.

Alice, Jessica, Sara and I shared a table in the back of the class. I was furiously taking notes until the lecture ended and we were given class time to work on our assignment. I was trying to pay attention to my assignment when Sara decided to bring up Sunday night. I guess I couldn't blame her. Jessica had been acting so smug the last couple of weeks since she'd gotten back together with Mike.

She acted like she'd beaten me out for his affections and won him or something. Jessica still acted friendly in her way, but she just seemed to rub me the wrong way. It was almost like she stayed friends with us to find out what was going on so she'd have good stories to pass on to the rest of the school. It wasn't like I'd really done anything that was gossip worthy until now. At least nothing I'd willingly tell her.

"So, Bella, tell me about this date you went on with Edward last night." Sara started. I could see the smirk on her face, but I didn't know what she was up too. I'd told her it wasn't a date. It was more like she was asking me about it so Jessica would hear rather than an honest desire for information.

"You went on a date with Edward this weekend?" Jessica asked. She was still wearing that smug look she had sported all last week when she started dating Mike again and I wondered what was up with that. It made me want to wipe the smug grin off of her face, but I just ignored her. "Well, welcome to the club. I think everyone's gone out with him."

"I told you, Sara, it wasn't a date. I went bowling with Alice and Edward and Jasper showed up. It was fun and we all just hung out together." I told Sara, ignoring Jessica's comment. For some reason Jessica didn't act like she liked the fact that it wasn't a real date. Then Alice got into the act.

"You know you could have gone out with him when he asked you if you wanted too." Alice chimed in.

"I don't know, Alice. I like him, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jessica exclaimed. "Edward Cullen asked you out on a date and you told him no? Nobody tells him no."

"I did, but I guess he's nicer than I thought he was at first." I conceded as I glanced at Alice. "He's actually more of a gentleman than I got from my first impression. At least he was nice when we were talking on the phone last night…"

"The phone?" Jessica exclaimed with a note of shock in her voice. "How did you get his number?"

"I didn't call him, Jess. He called me. I guess Alice gave him my number. God it was hard to get going this morning… We must have talked on the phone for three or four hours last night…" Jessica was just staring at me wide eyed for some reason. I swear something was going to fly into her mouth if she didn't close it. Then her jaw snapped shut.

"Edward asked you out and you told him no?"

"Yeah…"

"And you hung out with him and his brother and Alice this weekend?"

"Yeah…"

"And then he called you and you guys talked on the phone for hours last night?"

"He was sorry he kept me up so late. He brought me coffee and walked me to class this morning…"

"Oh. My. God! He likes you! Edward doesn't like girls, he dates them! You're going to go out with him when he asks you to go out again, right?"

"I don't know yet… I don't think so. Not yet. Maybe we can be friends, but I don't think I'm ready to go out with him yet." At least he'd said he wanted to be my friend.

"Oh. My. God! You're playing hard to get? With Edward Cullen? This is huge!"

"I'm not playing anything, Jess. I can just be friends with him, can't I?"

"Edward isn't friends with girls. He has girlfriends. He's a guy, and guys like Edward only want one thing from the girls they date. Sorry, Alice, but you know it's true."

Jessica didn't know how true her comment was. Only the one thing Edward wanted wasn't what she thought it was. The sex was just a cover up for the real reason he asked girls out on dates.

"Is that why you went out with him, Jess?" Alice asked. Jessica blushed, but I knew it was true. Then she shrugged and tried to play it off.

"I'm not sorry about it. Edward is very good at what he does best. I'd go out with him again if he asked me. He knows how to really take care of a girl, if you know what I mean."

For some reason, that made me mad. I knew what it was, but why was I feeling jealousy flash through me at her comment? I suddenly had the urge to scratch Jessica's eyes out. I bristled, ready to tell her to stay the hell away from Edward, but I knew that was wrong.

What was wrong with me? Edward wasn't mine. I had no right to feel jealous that another girl might want to go out with him. I had no hold on him to dictate his actions. Would I ever? Edward had certain needs, and I couldn't stop him from being what he was. He would always have those needs, and it was something I'd have to deal with if we did get closer.

Then Alice leaned in close to Jessica and spoke in the honey coated voice I'd come to associate with the compulsion talent that allowed her kind to affect peoples minds.

"You don't want to go out with Edward anymore, Jessica. You're content with Mike, and you'll do whatever you have to do to keep him, won't you?"

Jessica nodded dumbly in assent as she gazed into space.

"You aren't going to spread any rumors about Edward either, are you?"

Jessica nodded again, but I guess Alice needed to reinforce the command.

"Say it, Jessica." Alice told her. "Tell me what you're going to do."

"No," Jessica's eyes were glazed over and she spoke in a little girl voice. "I won't spread any rumors about Edward."

Then Alice glanced at me. "Do you want her talking behind your back, Bella? She'll have the whole school thinking you and Edward are together by gym class if I don't do something now." I didn't approve of what Alice was doing, but I was sitting right here, and I could hear what she told her to do. It wasn't like she was ordering her to jump off a bridge or run naked down the hall. I didn't want Jessica to spread any rumors now that she knew there was the possibility of something between me and Edward.

"No, go ahead. Do it."

"Jessica, you aren't going to spread any rumors about Bella, either. Whatever Bella does is her own affair and you won't talk about what she does to anybody unless she tells you that it's alright. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I won't spread rumors about Bella…"

"That's excellent, Jessica." Alice said in her normal voice and it seemed to break the spell.

Jessica appeared to shake herself, as though she'd zoned out or nodded off and was trying to catch up with the gist of the conversation.

"What… What were you saying, Alice?"

"I asked you what you and Mike did this weekend. Nobody saw you two all day on Saturday or Sunday."

"Oh… Mike had to work, and then we went to Port Angeles for dinner and a movie."

"Is that all that happened?" Sara asked suggestively as she smirked at her.

"No…" Jessica was blushing and seemed to find her assignment exceedingly interesting all of a sudden.

"Oh you're not getting off that easy!" Sara chuckled. "Spill girlfriend!"

"Ok… So we got ice cream after the movie, and then started home…"

"Boring, Jess. Get to the good part. You aren't blushing over your ice cream selection. So what happened?"

"Umm… well, I happened to mention to Mike that my parents were out of town for the weekend…"

"And let me guess." I interjected, joining the conversation. "Mike suggested that you guys go back to your place?"

"Yeah…"

"So you took him home, and you two ended up in your bed together?" Sara asked. Jessica nodded. She was blushing again but seemed relieved that she didn't actually have to say it.

"How late did he stay?" Alice asked with a smirk. "Did you fix him breakfast?"

Jessica nodded again, and her blush seemed to darken, but she'd already admitted everything we pretty much already knew. "He called home and told his dad he was staying over at Conner's for the night."

"So was he as good as Edward?" Alice asked. I glanced at her shocked. I couldn't believe she was asking Jessica about her brother like that.

Jessica huffed like there was no contest and I expected her to defend Mike.

"Nobody is as good as Edward, Alice, but then he is your brother, so you wouldn't know. Did you go out with Mike before?" She asked.

"Actually we're adopted, but it would be kind of awkward since we live together." Nobody commented on the fact that Jasper was supposed to be her brother too, but she was dating him as far as the kids at school knew. "No, I've never dated Mike, but I heard all about him from Sara and Bella." Not to mention what she'd seen when she was helping me.

"Edward is much bigger than Mike, but it's more than that… He just seems so much more confident and self assured than Mike, like he's been doing it for ages... He's very skilled at what he does, but then I guess he does have a lot of experience."

That was almost too scary to think about. I'd seen Mike naked, and he wasn't small by any means. Then again, I didn't have a lot of experience to back that up. Mike was the only guy I'd ever seen naked. James didn't count. It had been too dark to see anything, and I hadn't really been thinking about his cock at the time beyond wanting to get away from it. I'd felt other guys, but only through their pants, so at least I had some frame of reference to base my assumptions on. Then there was the whole experience thing to consider. Edward did have ages of experience while I had practically none at all.

Sara was questioning Jessica for more details about her weekend activities with Mike that I really didn't want to hear. Luckily, I was saved by the bell before she could get too far into how many times they did it and what positions they tried. It was too much information in my opinion, and I had to sit through Spanish class with Jessica next period.

I quickly gathered my things and rushed out of the room before Jessica could decide to walk with me and feel obligated to continue the conversation from trig. I wasn't paying attention and almost ran into Edward in the hallway. I didn't know how he'd gotten there so fast, but apparently he was waiting to walk me to Spanish class.

"Oh…! Edward? What are you doing here?" I asked confused. I didn't remember seeing him in the halls during the one day we'd shared at school previously.

"Alice saw that you might need some help." I glanced back, and Jessica looked like she had been ready to approach me, but she just smiled and started down the hall toward Spanish Class. "…and I wanted to talk to you again anyhow, so I thought I'd help provide a distraction for Jessica."

"Ok, thank you. What did you want to talk about?" We started down the hall, and I hoped Angela would save me a seat. I really didn't want to hear anymore about Jessica's weekend. I was glad Edward had shown up when he did.

"I wanted to ask you if you'd sit with me at lunch today. Actually, I was going to ask you to go out to lunch, but Alice said you'd say no. So I thought maybe we could compromise and sit together in the cafeteria."

"Just you?"

"If you like, or we could sit with my family. Emmett wants to meet you. Jasper was recounting the events of our night out at the bowling alley, and he's dying to meet you."

"Huh…and what about your other sister? Alice and Jasper are cool, and Emmett sounds like fun from what Alice has told me. Does Rosalie want to meet me too?"

Somehow I couldn't see the perfect ice queen being overjoyed by my presence. Maybe I was just being paranoid because I'd thought she'd been together with Edward at first but she made me feel nervous and self-conscious. She looked like she belonged with Edward while I knew I was just so ordinary and plain.

"Not so much… No. Rose shares certain… prejudices… that are common to groups like my family. She'll remain civil if you decide to join us today. That's all I can guarantee."

"I think I'll save that meeting for another day, but I would like to sit with you… Would you mind if some of my friends joined us?"

"Which friends? I'd prefer not to meet with Angela at lunch in the cafeteria. That meeting is best saved for when we have more privacy. Alice has already informed you that I'm not on speaking terms with your mentor. Certainly you aren't considering inviting Mike and Jessica. Are you?"

"No… Ok, I guess it's just you and me then."

"Good," Edward said with a big grin on his face. "Then it's a date…"

"Please don't call it that, Edward … I want to be friends, but don't push. Ok?"

"Of course, Bella, Please allow me to apologize…"

"You don't have too. I just want to be your friend, ok? I'll see you at lunch." Then I stepped into the classroom, and the door closed behind me.

Angela had saved me a seat and I went and sat by her. She was curious, but I knew she'd respect my privacy and not try to dig for details like Jessica would. Jessica wasn't sitting with us in this class today. Otherwise she would have tried to ask me more questions than I was ready to answer if she could have gotten me to sit with her. I enjoyed the respite from the direction the conversation had taken in Trig. It was peaceful and calming to sit with Angela, and we simply concentrated on our Spanish lesson.

I was halfway expecting Edward to meet me outside the classroom when the class ended but he wasn't there. I walked along beside Angela, and Jessica joined us chattering about the latest gossip as we walked together to the cafeteria. I followed them into the lunch line while I scanned the room looking for Edward. He wasn't sitting with his family, but then I didn't expect to see him with them after what we'd talked about before Spanish class.

"Why is Edward Cullen staring at us?" Jessica asked.

"I don't think he's staring at 'us', Jessica." Angela said. "I think he's waiting for Bella."

I followed their gaze and finally found Edward. He was sitting alone at a table by the windows, equally distant from both his family and the table I usually sat at with Angela, Jessica and my other friends. He smiled when he saw me notice him, and raised his hand with his finger crooked to beckon me over.

"Umm… I'm going to go see what he wants…"

"Uh huh," Jessica huffed. "Enjoy your lunch." Jeez, jealous much? She'd wanted Mike, she could have him.

I glanced back at Jessica and I could see the jealousy plain on her face. Angela just smiled and shooed me toward Edward with an encouraging grin. Well at least she didn't seem worried about him. It felt like every eye in the cafeteria tracked my progress across the room, but I steeled my resolve and went over to Edward's table.

"Thank you for joining me, Bella," Edward said when I got there. "Won't you sit down?" he asked as he indicated the seat next to him.

That was a little too close for my liking, and I dodged around the table to sit down across from him. It didn't really make sense. I'd be sitting that close to him in Biology Class next period anyways, but it made me more comfortable now to leave some space between us. He had a large tray of food in front of him that I knew he wasn't going to eat. It looked like more than he normally had on his tray.

"Are you even going to eat any of that?" I asked indicating the tray. "It seems excessively wasteful if you aren't even going to try any."

"Well, actually I got it for you. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a little of everything."

"For me? I can't eat all of that…"

"Of course, half is for me." He said with a smirk as he picked up a bagel and began to unobtrusively shred it into tiny pieces. "Please, help yourself." He slid the tray towards me.

I picked up a slice of pizza and nibbled on the end of it.

"So you're just going to let all of this go to waste?" I asked. There was no way I'd ever put a dent in the food covering the tray. "Alice doesn't seem to find all of this to be so terribly offensive."

"Alice is adventurous that way. We indulge her eccentricities. I suppose it's somewhat endearing, but it does begin to wear on a person. The way she constantly wants us to try to be more hu… Find ways to fit in…"

I glanced around the room, but I didn't think anyone was close enough to hear us talk if we spoke quietly.

"So this is you trying to fit in? You don't do a very good job. I knew you weren't eating the food on your trays the first day I was here."

Edward shrugged. "You knew what we were before your first day here. The façade we project is good enough most of the time. Most people accept what we choose to show them and their minds fill in the blanks to make us fit into their world. You can obviously see things the sleepers don't. We used to try harder, but it really isn't necessary most of the time."

"Sounds to me like you got complacent and started to let things slip. Is that how my dad found out about you guys?"

Edward bristled slightly and then visibly relaxed. "Your father had the benefit of knowing that parts of the mythical world were real. He accepted what his eyes showed him because his mind had already accepted the possibility that something like my family could exist. Although I can't say I like his choice of the company he keeps or the friends he chooses to associate with."

"Why?"

"Let's not go there today. Let's just say we don't always get along and leave it at that. Ok? I'd really prefer to discuss you instead."

I could feel the heat rise in my face, and I knew I was blushing again. "Ok… Let's discuss us then. Is there an us? Why are we doing this Edward?"

"Well sometimes when a boy meets a girl they discover that they have special feelings for each other…"

I could see the smirk on his face as he spoke, but his words cut through the tension between us and I relaxed a little. I couldn't help but grin at his childish attempt at humor.

"Ok, cut the crap. I've had the talk. What are you looking for out of this?" I wasn't going to restate the obvious. I knew why men and women dated and formed relationships, but Edward was a player. I didn't want to play that game. "You do have a certain reputation and I want you to understand up front that I'm not going to be just another one of those girls you date. I know you have certain needs, but I won't be satisfying that particular appetite. If that's all you're looking for, then we can just end this now…"

"It's not like that, Bella…"

"Then tell me what it is like, Edward. I'm confused. I know what you do. I've talked to Sara, and Michaela, and Jessica. I could probably go to any of a dozen other girls in this room and hear the same story. Why am I supposed to believe that I'm any different?"

"I know it'll sound like the oldest lie in the world if I tell you that all of those other girls meant nothing to me, so I won't. I will tell you that I've only felt like this one time before, but I was young and stupid and I screwed it up. I don't want to make that mistake again."

"So you are saying I'm different? Why? Is it because of what I can do?"

"No… I don't know. I do know that I feel an attraction to you, Bella. I have dated a lot of girls, but I've only ever felt like this once before. She was a perfectly normal girl. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her except for the way I felt about her. This was how I felt then, but it was a very long time ago and I made mistakes."

"And I'm not normal? What happened to her? Why isn't she with you now?"

"I told you it was a very long time ago. She was human. She's dead. And you are anything but normal in all of the best ways possible." It was flattering, but I was focused on the first part of his statement.

"…she's dead… but it wasn't from natural causes, was it? Did you kill her?" Did he snap and drain her? He did say he was young when it happened…

"Not how you're thinking. She did not die by my hand… But I won't lie to you… it was an unnatural death. She was taken before her time and I hold myself responsible… This is very painful for me to discuss, Bella. I would prefer not to dredge all of this up right now..."

Edward looked away with a look of pain on his face and I didn't push him for details. I saw him shake himself as he pushed the memories that haunted him away and his expression cleared. I gave him a minute to settle himself and then he turned back to me.

"So now you think you can replace her with me?"

"No. I'm not looking for a replacement. I thought any chance of happiness in my life was lost with her. This is a miraculous second chance and I have been informed that I would be a fool to squander this opportunity."

"I can imagine who made that argument…" I glanced at the Cullen's table, and Alice was beaming back at me. Yeah, if anyone could browbeat Edward into pursuing a relationship with me, it would be her. I just didn't know why this was so important to her.

"Yes, that little imp can be insufferable at times, but she's usually right… Suffice it to say that there has only been one woman in my life that I have had feelings like this for until you arrived in Forks. To be honest I thought that the possibility of something like this happening to me was impossible, but I have been proven wrong. That in itself is a rare occurrence."

"I am inclined to explore these feelings I have for you if you are of a mind to accept my advances. I would like your permission to attempt to form a more meaningful relationship between us."

"So you're saying you have feelings for me… You don't even know me. Isn't this kind of sudden?"

"I'm sure it appears that way to you. This is how these things often work for my kind. Sometimes we have almost as much difficulty recognizing the signs as humans do, but you're all I've been able to think about for the last two weeks, Bella. I couldn't stay away any longer. You've filled my thoughts since I left."

"I have?" I suppose it was flattering in a sense, but I wondered just what exactly he'd been thinking about. Was I the star of all of his fantasies now? Did I even want to know? At least he was telling me to my face, and not sitting across the room drooling when I walked in. If truth be told, I'd had fantasies of my own about Edward.

"Yes… But I wasn't sure how to deal with it. I thought you hated me after how I reacted that day in Biology. I was going to try and give you some space until an opportunity presented itself. I didn't know how you'd react to any of this, but then you came and talked to me at the bowling alley last night. I hoped that maybe you were starting to feel something too."

"Ok… So where do we go from here, Edward?"

I had set the pizza down and my hands were resting on the table as we spoke. I hadn't realized it, but we were both leaning closer over the table as we spoke quietly so the other people in the room wouldn't hear. Edward reached out and traced his fingertip down the edge of my hand and I felt electricity shoot up my arm and down my spine at his touch. I liked it and didn't try to pull away. I felt the blush rise in my cheeks and my heart was racing as I looked intently into his eyes and he gazed deeply into mine.

I didn't know what I was feeling for Edward. I did know there was something there, but it scared me a little to think about what it might grow into. I was cutting him an incredible amount of slack compared to my initial reaction to what he had done and I didn't know why. The possibility that I had feelings for him too was as good an explanation as any. Maybe there was more there than just the raw attraction to his physical presence.

"If you were of a mind to agree, I think this is the part where we start spending time together to get to know each other better."

"Ok… I'm not opposed to that idea, but let's take this slow. Ok? I not ready to just blindly jump into any kind of relationship right now, but I'll be your friend. Let's start there and see where this goes."

"How slow? Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

"Slower, Edward, Let's stay public or at least in groups for now. Ok?"

"You're not making this easy, Bella."

"Oh, I never said it was going to be easy. Has Alice explained about my father yet?"

"No, she's been trying to hide some things from me, but I am aware that he knows about me."

"Ok, well he doesn't know about me and I'd prefer to keep it like that for now. The other issue is that I made my father a promise when I moved here."

"What promise?"

"I told him he could meet anyone who asked me out on a date before I went out with them."

"Oh… Yes, I suppose that would prove to be a rather awkward promise to keep given our situation…"

The first bell rang announcing the end of lunch. I got up from the table, and Edward picked up the tray to dump it in the trash.

"Actually, he told me to stay away from you, and I told him I had no intention of going out with you. If that situation is going to change then we're going to have to talk to him."

Edward dumped the tray and then took my bag from me as he walked beside me towards Biology Class.

"_We_ need to talk to him? I didn't make him any promises. I assume he's concerned because he considers me to be a danger to you. He is correct, you know. I am dangerous."

"Not to me. Not like that."

"Then it would appear that the simplest solution would be to simply explain to him why you think I'm not dangerous to you."

"And how do you plan to do that without explaining about what I can do?"

"Don't be obtuse, Bella. That is exactly what you'd have to tell him."

"I told you, I'm not ready to do that. Find another solution. Besides, how do you know he isn't simply trying to protect my reputation? You have been rumored to have compromised the virtue of a few of the girls that you've gone out with. Maybe he just doesn't want me to go out with a boy who he knows is only after one thing."

"Perhaps more than a few… What are you suggesting?"

"He's starting to trust Alice. Maybe he'd be more open minded if he knew your intentions were honorable. Are they?"

We stopped speaking as we walked into the classroom and took our seats at our table together. Edward laid my bag on the table in front of me and I was retrieving my Biology text book and notebook when he spoke into my ear in a low whisper.

"You want me to ask your father for permission to court you?" Edward whispered so only I would hear.

Goose bumps prickled up and down my arms as the words registered. I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks again, but I didn't let it stop me, and I forged on ahead. We spoke quietly so we could continue our conversation.

"Is that what we're doing Edward? What are your intentions?" I asked as I turned to look him in the eye. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation. The direction it was headed was the last thing on earth that I wanted, and I couldn't believe I was sitting her calmly discussing this. He didn't flinch as he looked back into my eyes and spoke to me quietly.

"In the world I was born into, yes, that's exactly what I would have done. The feelings I'm experiencing, that I pray we share, would typically culminate in a proposal of marriage if both parties were amenable to that conclusion. But this is a different time, and I've been forced to admit that I have to change with the times that I live in."

Oh. My. God! He did not just say that! We haven't even been out on a date yet, and he using the M-word?

"What?" I hissed in shock. There were heads turning in our direction, but Mr. Banner hadn't started class yet, and I whispered furiously to Edward. "Times have changed, Edward! People don't just jump into something like that! Getting mmm… Doing that is not an option I feel even remotely comfortable considering, at least not until I'm much older and settled. I have too much life to live before that's even an option. I don't even know you!"

I took a deep breath to calm down and thought about what he'd actually said while he stared at me sympathetically. He did say that was how things were done in the past. He knew that wasn't how people did things now. He'd said so. But it was on his mind. It would come up again because that was who he was.

"You have no idea how much times have changed. Most of what you consider acceptable for dating today would have never happened until a girl had a ring on her finger when I was born."

"Ok… Not going to happen… but my dad might be open minded enough to change his mind about you if he knows what your intentions are and why you want to spend time with me. I mean dating, not getting mmm… You know what I mean…"

"I don't really understand why your generation is so opposed to the idea of marriage."

I winced again just listening to him say that out loud in a normal conversation. Then again, this wasn't a normal conversation. He was talking to me and using that word… Like it was something I could even possibly consider doing in my wildest dreams.

"Have you seen the divorce statistics? Why jump into a legal relationship that's more than likely to end?"

"There is no divorce among my kind. Our brains and bodies don't work that way. Regardless, how would you suggest that I proceed then?"

"You've got to have more experience with this sort of thing than I do…"

"No. Not really… I'm assuming you want your father to have an honest response to me, and making him like me isn't an option. Besides, his friends would figure it out, and they'd react badly. I don't really have that much experience in this particular arena… Fathers are supposed to hate me. I generally accept it as a given."

"Ok… Well, that won't work for us. I have to live with him, and I'd prefer not to live in a war zone. I don't know… Don't be a stranger. Let him see you act normal and friendly. If you're worth dating I'm sure you can handle charming."

"You don't even know what normal is for me yet, Bella."

"If you're somebody that I want to date or spend time with then you're going to have to be able to get along with my father. I've just gotten him back, and I'm not ready to give him up yet."

"Ok… So butter him up and get on his good side? Is there something he wants that might make him like me?"

"You can't buy a date with me Edward. At least I don't think you can, Charlie isn't like that. You have to make him feel comfortable about the idea of me spending time with you. That'll take time."

"I have all the time in the world, Ms. Swan, and I believe the effort is worth the reward."

I blushed again and looked away from Edward's eyes, but I was startled by the sound of another voice.

"Mr. Cullen, It's so nice of you to rejoin us. Do you think you might be able to give some of your attention to this class? I'm sure you find Ms. Swan much more interesting to you than Biology Class, but we do have Semester tests this week, and with your extended absence you should be paying more attention to this review material."

"Of course, Mr. Banner." Edward said as his head turned to take in the front of the classroom.

I could hear snickering behind us and I glanced back to look at Angela, Sara and Jessica. Angela was just smiling, but Sara had that smug 'I told you so' expression on her face. Jessica was the one trying to stifle snickers at the two of us getting caught.

"I'd appreciate your attention as well, Ms. Swan. I'm sure you can discuss the finer points of your interest in your lab partner with your friends on your own time."

I quickly turned back to face the front of the classroom and I knew I had to be bright shade of red. We were quiet for the rest of class, and I tried to follow along to review my notes from the semester. I couldn't help but glance in Edward's direction from time to time to see what he was doing. Apparently he was doing the same thing only he didn't have any notes. I really didn't know why I did. I'd read the book, and I wasn't worried about the test.

Finally the class ended and I quickly gathered my things to leave. I was surprised when Edward took my bag again. Apparently he was going to walk me to my next class. We got up and I followed him out of the classroom. We stepped into the hall and I walked beside him as we started down the hall. I jumped when he reached for my hand.

"Is this ok? You don't mind, do you?" he asked as he held my small hand in his large one.

"…No…" He started to pull away, but I gripped his hand tighter and didn't let him let go. "No, I don't mind."

I could feel the corners of my mouth twist up into a smile and I felt a thrill wind tighter in my stomach as I walked beside Edward and held his hand. His hand was pleasantly cool and dry. I felt slightly self-conscious because I knew my palms were sweating, and the feel of my hot moist hand probably felt gross to him, but he was smiling too when I looked up at him. I didn't really care where we were walking to as I held Edward's hand and let him lead me through the hallway. I was startled again when we stopped. I did a double take and realized we were already standing outside the gym.

"Can I see you this afternoon after school?" Edward asked. I wanted to say yes, but I already had plans.

"I'm supposed to go over to Sara's house after school. Then I need to go home and fix dinner for Charlie. I'm sure Alice will have thought of something for us to do tonight by now."

"Alright. Can I at least call you again tonight if she hasn't?"

"Ok, I'd like that. But not so late this time. Ok?"

The bell rang then and I was going to have to hurry to dress for gym. Edward reached up and gently cupped my cheek. He stroked his thumb across it as his fingertips traced my jaw line. I wanted melt into his touch and I felt the coil in the pit of my stomach wind tighter. I was blushing again and now my panties would be damp all through gym class, but I didn't care as I stared into his eyes.

"I look forward to any time we can spend together, Bella. Until tonight…" and then he was striding away to go to his last class of the day.

I ducked into the gym and trotted into the girl's locker room. Half the class was already heading out into the gym, but I could see Alice waiting for me. She was usually one of the first ones out the door.

"Give me your phone." Alice said as I was opening my gym locker to change.

I stopped and got it out of my purse. It was dead from not being charged last night, but I handed it to her anyhow. I started to get dressed for gym as I watched what she was doing. Alice removed the battery and swapped in what I assumed was a fresh battery. She kept talking while I changed.

"Sara is going to Seattle after school. She's going to tell you in the car on the way home. Call your dad and tell him that you're going to the basketball game in Rainier with me tonight. I'll pick you up at Sara's house after Angela drops you off."

"Ok… He used the M-word, Alice! We haven't even been out on a date yet and he's talking about forever!"

"Well, what were you expecting from him? You said you weren't looking for a couple of random hookups. Edward is old school."

"This is the twenty-first century for god's sake! Is he trying to scare me off, Alice?"

"You know, it's not such a bad thing when you're with the right person. Jasper and I will have been married for fifty-six years this June."

She handed the phone back to me when I was done tying my shoes and I put it in the locker with my things. We were the last ones left in the locker room by the time I was dressed and ready to go.

"That's you guys. People don't talk about those kinds of things before they've even been out on a first date! People that have been living together for years might have trouble working that into a conversation."

"Hey! We're people too you know."

"Sorry, Alice, you know what I mean…"

"When Edward was born, what you shared at lunch today was far and away more than what would have happened on any first date. You'd be lucky to work up to hand holding before the wedding. The first kiss would be in front of a minister and both of your families."

"Bullshit. Real people didn't really live like that."

"Enough of them did that it was considered the correct way to do things. They did if they were the right kind of girl. The kind of girl Edward would have courted from a good family. Sure, people still fooled around. Men could get away with it, but it takes two to tango. Women were whores if they got caught and were ruined for life."

I considered that as we headed for the door out into the gym. That didn't really sound like much fun to me. I hated double standards.

"Umm… I guess I don't really know what the times were like when Edward grew up. I never really asked… How old is Edward? Is he a lot older than you?"

"That's something you'll have to discuss with him. I'm not allowed to say, but yes. He's older than me."

"Ok… Well I think I like this century better. C'mon, lets go play dodge ball. So we're going to a basketball game tonight?" I asked as we started out into the gym to join the class.

"Why, did you want to go to a basketball game tonight?"

That threw me for a loop "…But you said…?" I sputtered as I considered what she'd told me to do.

"I told you to call your father and tell him we're going to the basketball game. I didn't say we were going."

"You want me to lie to my father about where I am tonight?"

"Yeah, and it's quite a drive out to Rainier so maybe you should ask if you can stay out later too. You're ok with that, right?"

"I don't like to lie when I don't have to… What are we really doing tonight?"

"Do you really want to know before you talk to your dad? Just stick to the basketball story. You'll be more convincing if you don't know." Alice was thoughtful for a second, and then she went on. "You know, Bella, lying to people is a part of our world. It's something you're going to have to get used to if you're going to survive."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that. What do you have planned that I need to lie to my dad about?"

"Nothing that you won't thoroughly enjoy."

"Alice! You understand that I want to take things slow with Edward, right? You're not trying to set me up with him tonight are you?"

"Whatever you two end up doing or not doing is your own affair. I'm not trying to set up anything. You told him I'd think of something, and you know you want to see him tonight. That's all I'll say until I pick you up after school."

"Fine. Is what I wore today ok, or do I need to at least go home to change first?"

"I have it under control. Just shower after gym. I'll handle the rest. You've still got the ID I gave you?"

I nodded; it was hidden in my wallet in my purse. I wasn't going to leave it lying around in my room at home where Charlie might find it and start asking question. I had more questions for her like what the hell were we going to do that I'd need a fake ID for, but we'd caught up with the rest of the class by then and I couldn't ask.

We had finished our section on volleyball and had moved onto dodge ball. I liked this class a lot better now that I could control the ball and move around without tripping over my own two feet. This was a lot more like the combat practice I did with Sara and it helped me to practice my aim. I just had to tone down how hard I threw the ball so I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I was a force to be reckoned with on the dodge ball court, and people avoided me now when I got the ball.

Alice got picked for another team while I was paired up on a team with Haley and Michaela like usual. Mike was off with the basketball team on the other side of the gym going over last minute strategy and drills for the game tonight. Jessica ended up on the other team my team was matched with to play against.

I wouldn't say I singled Jessica out, but she did seem somewhat haggard by the end of class. She just made such an opportune target, and every time I'd think about what she'd said about Edward, the ball was flying in her direction. It wasn't my fault she couldn't dodge the ball. I'd only knocked her down twice. Could I help it if she was stupid enough to try and duck and put her face in the path of the ball? She didn't even have to go to the nurse, although the red mark across the left side of her face did look a little swollen. She stormed off to the locker room when the coach told us to hit the showers.

"Not you, Swan." Coach Newhouse called out to me as the class turned toward the locker rooms. "I'd like to have a word with you."

I glanced back at the coach a little sheepishly, and then walked back over to her as I studied the toe of my gym shoe. Coach Newhouse was the girl's gym coach. She had the whole class today while Coach Clapp worked with the basketball team. She coached the cross country team in the fall and softball in the spring.

"You wanted me Coach?" I asked.

"I don't care what your grudge against Stanley is. I'm not going to get in the middle of it, but if you don't ease up on her, I'm going to have to do something about it. You don't really want to sit in detention over something stupid like dodge ball, do you?"

"No… I'm sorry. It won't happen again…" Coach Newhouse nodded, and I thought we were done, but then she went on.

"You know, when you first started here you were kind of klutzy, but you've really settled in. I've been watching you develop for a couple of weeks now and you can really put some power behind that ball. Sometimes it seems almost like you're holding back from really cutting loose. Your aim is developing too. Have you considered trying out for the softball team this spring?"

My head snapped up and I looked at her in shock, but she was completely serious.

"What…! No… I've never played on any kind of sports team before…"

"Well think about it. You've got potential. With some coaching and a little training you could be an asset to the team. The season doesn't start until March, but we'll start practices indoors in the gym next month. I'll be running a pitching clinic in a couple of weeks. Let me know if you're interested, and I'll get you the paperwork to signup."

"I… I'll think about it. I have an after school job…"

"At Newton's right? Karen Newton is a sports booster. She'll work with you on the schedule. Just think about it. Talk to your dad, and see what he thinks. That's all Swan; you better hit the showers now."

I turned around and got out of there when she let me go and high tailed it to the locker room to shower and change back into my street clothes.

Softball? Really? I'd never played any sports in my life except for what I'd been forced to endure in gym class while going to school. It had quite literally always been a rather painful experience until I came to Forks. I didn't even know how to catch a ball or all of the rules for baseball, let alone softball, although I didn't think it would be an issue. This was the first time in my life that I'd ever had fun in a gym class, and that was only because of the new abilities that I was learning to control.

Would it even be fair to the other girls if I went out for a team sport? All of the girls that went out for the softball team had to believe that they had some degree of talent for the sport even if they were only doing it just for fun. Would it be cheating just because my special talent extended beyond the realm of purely physical ability? It wasn't like I was taking performance enhancing drugs or would be using rigged equipment to hit the ball farther. Anything I did would be perfectly natural and normal for me. As far as I knew, there were no rules against using magick to do better or win.

I'd have to talk to Charlie about it, and try and work that question into the conversation, but I wasn't going to have that talk with him today. Haley and Michaela were waiting for me in the locker room but Alice had already left. I grabbed my things to shower and started to get cleaned up so we could leave.

"What did Coach Newhouse want, Bella?" Haley asked as I stepped into the stream of water. I think she already had an Idea from the smirk on her face.

"She warned me to ease up on Jessica. Was I really being that hard on her? I didn't really think about it much. She just seemed to be there whenever I had the ball."

"Umm… Yeah. Kinda looked like you were carrying a serious grudge against her all class." Michaela said as though it was only obvious. "I'm surprised she didn't complain, but then she would have looked even more whiny and weak. She just took it, but I'd be on the look out for some kind of payback. Jess is the kind that doesn't get mad, she gets even."

"You're not upset about her and Mike getting back together… are you?" Haley asked.

I scoffed at the thought as I toweled off and went back to my locker to get dressed.

"Hardly. If I was upset at anything, it was her comment that she'd go out with Edward again in a heartbeat if he asked her."

"Yeah, so what did you and Edward talk about at lunch?" Haley asked.

"You aren't seriously getting your hopes up about Edward Cullen," Michaela said a little incredulously, "Are you? You know his reputation. I'm not telling you not to have some fun with him, but you know how many different girls he goes out with. You can't get jealous over Edward or you'll be slamming balls in the face of every girl at Forks high school."

"I don't know what I have with Edward yet. What did he tell you when you guys went out? Did he make you any promises or talk about any girls he dated in the past before he came to Forks?"

"No… No promises of any kind except to show me a good time and make sure I had fun on our date. What did you guys talk about?"

"We talked about a lot of things… I think he likes me."

"Edward likes girls. He dates a lot of girls. You aren't falling for Edward Cullen, are you? You're setting yourself up to be hurt if you are."

"I'm not going to let that happen. I'm taking this one step at a time. I told him we could be friends."

"It sounds like you're letting him in. Don't expect him to make any commitments, Bella. He'll break your heart. Guys like Edward don't go out with just one girl."

"We haven't talked about that yet. I have no expectations at this point. I know I have no hold over him. I'm just going to see where things go for now."

"So is that all the Coach asked you about out there?" Haley asked a little impatiently as we walked out of the locker room and headed for the parking lot.

"No…" I said suspiciously. "She asked me if I was interested in trying out for the softball team…"

"Yeah? So, what did you tell her?"

"Did you put her up to that? I've never played on a sports team in my life, Haley. I don't even know how to play baseball, and now she wants me to go to some pitching clinic she's holding in a couple of weeks."

"I told you, Haley," Michaela said as she shook her head and walked over to her car to leave. "Good luck, Bella, you're going to need it." She said with a sympathetic smile as she got into her car.

"We can teach you everything you need to know, Bella." Haley said as we were getting into Angela's car. "We really need you. We had five girls graduate off the team last year and we don't have a decent pitcher now. Don't tell Michaela I said that. She tries really hard, but she isn't very good. She's a much better shortstop."

"Are they trying to recruit you for softball already?" Sara said from the back seat "It's still January, for god's sake. The season doesn't start until March!"

"Do you play softball too?" I asked as I glanced back at Sara in the back seat.

"Who, me? Do I look like a softball player to you?"

I had admit, she had a point. I couldn't imagine Sara on a baseball diamond in my wildest dreams. Then again I'd never even considered the possibility myself until today. Angela and Sara both laughed at the idea, but Haley wasn't ready to let it go.

"So you're going to think about it, right? Its fun and I think you'd be really good."

"I don't know… I have to talk to my dad…" I didn't want to get her hopes up. I didn't think it would be a good idea.

"You should do it, Bella." Sara said. That shocked me and I turned in my see to see if she was serious. She was the last person that I'd expect to encourage me to go out for any kind of team sport.

"What? Are you serious? What if I hurt somebody?"

"It'll be a good place for you to practice control and it can't help but improve your aim and reflexes."

I sighed and sank down deeper into the seat as I looked away. "Fine. I'll think about it, but I'm not going to make a decision today."

That was like the seal of doom. I was bound by our pact, and if Sara thought it was a good training exercise for the techniques she was teaching me, I'd have to do it. I wouldn't be able not to. She could make me and I wouldn't be able to say no. Usually we were in perfect agreement about what she wanted me to do, but I was skeptical about the merits of this idea. Maybe she'd forget and not make the decision for me.

"Thanks, Bella," Haley said with a broad grin on her face, accepting my response as a victory. "Just you wait! we are going to have so much fun this season!"

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be just grand. So what are we working on today, Sara?" I asked to change the subject.

"Yeah, I was going to say something about that. Can we skip our session today? There's something I need to do…"

"I can drop you off at home, Bella." Angela said. "It's no trouble."

"No, I need to speak with Sara for a minute. I'll be ok." The pact worked both ways, and I could make her stay for our lesson, but I knew I wouldn't. I was too curious about what Alice had planned for tonight.

"Ok, if you're sure…"

"Thanks, Ang, I'll see you tomorrow," I said as we pulled up in front of Sara's house. I got out of the car with Sara. Angela waved and pulled away from the curb.

"You're not going to make me stay. Alice already told you, didn't she?" Sara asked as we walked up to the house.

"Yeah, she said she'd pick me up here. So you're going to Seattle again tonight? You've been spending an awful lot of time either there or in Aberdeen lately. When do you find time to sleep?" I asked as we walked back to her room so she could put her things away.

"I haven't really been sleeping much. You know, we don't have to if we don't want to." Sara said as she opened the door and I followed her into her room.

"It's an advantage of what we can do. We can compensate for lost sleep or no sleep at all by running off of our energy reserves. Angela doesn't teach it, but I can show you how. It's a little draining, but it lets us keep up with our kindred friends until we have some downtime to recharge. For somebody like you, with your energy reserves, you could go for years without so much as a nap and hardly blink."

"How do you do that?" I asked suddenly intrigued. "I was half dead this morning just from staying up too late last night talking on the phone."

"Here, look for the pattern in my aura while I concentrate on it. This is how you burn the candle at both ends."

She closed her eyes for a minute while she concentrated on the changes she had made, and I was able to pick out an orange tracery circulating through her aura. I reached out with my hand and felt how it altered the pattern of her energy in a revitalizing feedback loop.

"Yes, I see…" I murmured as I memorized how the pattern fed energy back into her system.

"Be careful, Bella. It's like speed without taking any drugs. You can sleep when you want or stay wide awake for as long as you need; days or weeks if you need to, but it'll make you feel invincible at first until you're used to it. Don't get cocky or overconfident, and be careful around Edward if you use it. It'll relax your inhibitions like three or four stiff drinks."

"I'll be careful. So you're seeing some kindred guy in Aberdeen now? Is it serious?"

"I have some new kindred friends. We hang out." I noticed she didn't mention any names, and she seemed a little embarrassed. "You seem to be spending an awful lot of time with Alice Cullen lately. So, are you going to hookup with Edward now, too?"

"It's not like that!" I exclaimed a little shocked at the idea. "Alice and I are just friends." I sputtered. I took a deep breath to calm down before I went on. "I don't know what's going to happen with Edward yet. I told him we could be friends, but I can't really date him until we figure out how to deal with my dad."

"Jeez, Bella, don't act so shocked. Does it really matter if they're boys or girls if they aren't even human to begin with? So you want to date him, right? I still can't believe your dad doesn't know about you. You know he already knows about most of the stuff that goes on around here. Knowing about you isn't going to be such a shock to him."

"Your sister doesn't know about you. Are you ready to tell her?"

"That's different. She wouldn't believe me no matter how hard I tried to convince her. If I showed her then it would either drive her mad, or I'd have to deal with paradox because she is most definitely a sleeper. Your dad could deal with it."

"Wait, you're saying my dad could be in some kind of danger if he learned about me?"

"That's not going to happen, Bella. Charlie already knows about a lot of the mythical world, and he's accepted it. He's worked with people that use magick before, and he's still sane. Well, mostly sane. He does hang out with werewolves, after all. The chances of anything happening to him are so remote as to be practically nonexistent."

"But there's a chance he could react badly?" I jumped when I heard the knock on the door, but I shook myself to clear my head, and followed Sara back to the front door.

"I think your ride is here. There's always a chance, but it's highly unlikely."

Sara opened the door and Alice was standing on the porch carrying a couple of large expensive looking bags.

"Hey, Alice. Long time no see," Sara said.

"Are you going to invite me in? I have to get Bella dressed." Alice said as she stood on the porch tapping her foot.

"Bella said you were picking her up. I have to leave. How long is this going to take?"

"You can leave, Sara," Alice said. "We'll lock up when we're done."

"You want me to invite you into my house?" Sara asked, but she had a grin on her face.

"Do you want me to say please?"

"Alice, you may enter my home to help Bella dress for tonight. This invitation is rescinded when your task is complete or you leave this dwelling."

"Thank you," Alice said as she walked through the door and started down the hall towards the bathroom. "Why haven't you called your father yet? You should have done that in the car. Come on, Bella. We don't have all night."

"Are you going to tell me what our plans are yet?"

"Not until you make the call…"

"Ok, well you girls have fun." Sara said. "I'm already late. I'll see you in the morning, Bella."

Sara turned into her room, and I could see the carpet over the circle in the floor roll out of the way as she stepped through the door. The door slammed closed by itself, and I heard the lock click shut. I felt the surge of energy expand through the wall as she triggered the portal, and I knew Sara was gone.

"Huh… Ok… Bye Sara"

"Make the call!" Alice called from the bathroom, and I sighed and got out my phone. Charlie's number was programmed into the contacts and I speed dialed his number. He picked up almost immediately.

"_Chief Swan_."

"Hey, dad, it's Bella."

"_Oh, hi Bells. Is everything alright? I was expecting another call."_

"I'm fine dad. I was just calling to see if it's alright if I go to the basketball game in Rainier tonight."

"_That's a pretty long drive. Who are you going with?"_

"Well, I'll be riding with Alice."

"_Alice Cullen? You know I don't like that idea._"

"Angela and Ben will be at the game tonight. You didn't seem to mind so much when I went shopping with her. I just don't see what you have against her, dad."

"_Alright, Will you be home by your curfew?_"

"Well, it's a pretty long drive like you were saying. I don't think I'll make it home by ten-thirty. Is it alright if I stay out a little later? I can call you when the game ends. I'm not sure exactly when we'll get home."

"_I guess that's alright. Just call me when you start back. You do know this is a school night, right? You seemed pretty wiped out this morning at breakfast. Are you sure you should be heading out of town on a school night? You have your semester tests this week._"

"Well, the basketball team is going, and they don't seem too concerned about them staying out too late on school night. I'll do better on my tests than any of those jocks."

"_Yeah, I suppose…"_

"Thanks, dad, I'll see you in the morning."

"_Ok._ _Bye, Bells. Have fun. I have to go, there's a call on the other line._" The call ended abruptly and I clicked my phone shut and dropped it into my purse as I followed Alice into the bathroom.

"Ok, Alice. So why couldn't I just get dressed at home?"

"Your dad will be stopping by there in about fifteen minutes. We don't want him to see what you're going to wear, or he'd know we weren't going to the basketball game."

"Ok, now you're scaring me. What are we really doing tonight?"

"Hanging out with friends, being public, getting to know each other better. You know, stuff like that."

"You are setting me up on a date with Edward!"

"He might be there"

"You know what I promised Charlie."

"Edward didn't ask you out. I did. I've met your dad and he's letting you go out with me. Besides, he doesn't get a veto. Remember? Has he voiced any specific concerns that would make you not want to go out with either of us?"

"That's beside the point. You're avoiding the spirit of the promise by adhering to the letter of our words."

"I notice you didn't exactly tell your dad any lies either, although you aren't really doing what you implied you were going to do. You really need to study law when we get to college. You learn all kinds of tricks. Now strip."

She handed me a tiny lace bra and matching thong panty set. It was the kind of underwear that made you say 'why bother?' I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks as I considered wearing it. The tiny scraps of fabric wouldn't cover anything.

"I'm supposed to wear this? What's the point? Nobody's going to see it besides you and me."

"Maybe… that's up to you. It'll make you feel sexy, just knowing you're wearing it. C'mon, hurry up. We really do have a long drive and we have dinner reservations."

"I really don't see the point… Are you just going to stand there and watch me?"

"Fine, I don't see why it matters. We have gym class together, Bella. It's not like I haven't seen it all before." Alice started taking off her clothes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well, I have to change too. I just thought it would be faster to get you done first, but if you feel uncomfortable we can both change together."

"Fine," I conceded as I stripped out of my street clothes and plain white cotton underwear and put on the skimpy bra and panty set Alice had brought for me.

"We really need to plan a spa day and get you a decent pedicure, but I guess this will have to do. It looks like you did this yourself with nail clippers."

"I did."

Alice sighed. "Well you have me now to show you a better way. Don't worry; I'll take care of you until you know better."

She handed me a pair of stockings and garter belt that matched the bra and panties. She had hers on while I was still rolling up the first stocking. She gently but firmly pushed me back to sit on top of the toilet lid and put the stockings on for me faster than I would have been able to myself. Then she helped me back up and was adjusting the garter belt for me. I was capable of dressing myself, but I was glad for the help. This setup was a lot more complicated than the simple starter set that Renee had bought for me. I would have figured it out, but apparently we had a deadline.

I turned away from the mirror to look at Alice and she was taking a light gray skirt that looked too small and royal blue silk blouse out of the garment bag. Then she was handing me the skirt.

"You're not serious are you? This isn't exactly my style, Alice. You're expecting me to wear this? How am I supposed to walk in this? What do you have against jeans, anyhow?"

"Quit fooling around and stalling, Bella. You don't walk. You do that floaty hover thing. If it feels to constricting, just open a couple of buttons. Besides, you knew we weren't wearing jeans when you put on the stockings. You'll look amazing. Edward will love it."

I sighed "I know, but it was worth a try." I should have expected it. All Alice had let me try on when we were shopping were dresses. I had to fight to let her let me buy pants. I knew I shouldn't complain so much. My wardrobe and style had improved markedly since she started helping me, but sometimes I just preferred simple.

The skirt was tight as stepped into it and pulled it up over my hips. It wasn't exactly super short but it was shorter than anything I was comfortable wearing out in public.. The skirt came to just below mid thigh and covered the tops of my stockings and a bit more. It felt constricting and held my knees about two inches apart while it was buttoned to the hem. There was a row of buttons up the front all the way to the waist band. I opened a couple to give me some more room and then blushed as I realized the rest weren't just decorative. You could undo the buttons all the way up to the waist band to open the front of the skirt without actually taking it off.

Alice stepped behind me to zip me up, and then she was handing me the silk blouse. I slipped it on and I could hear her getting dressed while I worked on getting the blouse buttoned.

"You'll have fun tonight, trust me. Come zip me up and I can get started on your makeup."

I turned to Alice and she was wearing a pretty purple cocktail dress that hung almost to her knees.

"That's what I'm worried about. Just how much fun do you have planned for tonight?"

"Enough. Now stand still and let me put on your face."

"Don't I get shoes to go with this outfit, or does Edward prefer his women barefoot too?" Of course, if she had forgotten, then maybe I could just wear my sneakers…

"Ha ha. Let me do your hair and makeup first. It'll be easier for me to reach before you put your shoes on."

Ok, no such luck. I looked down and Alice was wearing five inch stilettos with an inch thick platform sole. I was still taller than her in my stocking feet. I nodded in resignation and Alice went to work on me. I was surprised how fast she worked, and the time seemed to fly by. She was done sooner than I would have expected, but then she didn't go super heavy with the makeup and did more to enhance my features than try and bury them under paint and powder.

Some eye shadow, a touch of liner pencil, lip color, some light blush for color and I looked fantastic. The mascara was the most difficult part because we had to wait for it to dry. She styled my hair, but that was mostly brushing it out and a few minutes with a curling iron. Some light hairspray and I was good to go.

She handed me my shoes and I didn't balk at the three inch stilettos. I knew I could handle them now with a little enhancement to my balance and they'd bring me closer to Edward's height. Alice was done with her own hair and makeup by the time I had them strapped on.

She handed me a tiny clutch purse that matched my outfit while she was collecting her supplies and cleaning up so we could leave.

"Here, transfer what you need and I'll put your purse in the bag with your school clothes."

"You're really going to make me do this, aren't you?" I asked as I got my fake ID, my cell phone and my cigarettes out of my purse. There wasn't room for my whole wallet. I trusted Alice to take care of any makeup essentials we'd need, and I handed her my purse.

"I'm not making you do anything. I'll drop you off at your house if you want me to. You know you want to do this. You want to know, don't you? We can drag this out for as long as you like, but it won't change how either of you feel. You'll both just be miserable, and then Edward will screw up and you'll be pissed off at him until you guys makeup. We can avoid all of that if you set some ground rules now."

"Ground rules? What do you mean Alice?" She handed me a long black calf length trench coat, and I felt immeasurably more comfortable as I put it on and buttoned it closed. I was fastening the belt as I followed her to the door.

"C'mon, let's get going and we can discuss it in the car."

Alice put the bags in the trunk, and I got into the passenger seat. She got in and we pulled away from the curb.

"So am I taking you home?" she asked.

"Just drive. Will you at least tell me where we're going?"

"There's a little steakhouse by Aberdeen that Jasper and I like. Who knows who we might run into…?"

"Aberdeen! That's a two hour drive!"

"Not the way I drive. Besides, it's on the way to Rainier. We would have stopped there for dinner on the way to the basketball game anyhow."

"Alice! You know my dads a cop."

"Then I shouldn't have to worry about any speeding tickets, should I? Just don't look out the window. We'll have dinner. Maybe hit some of the clubs. You might even find somebody to dance with."

"I don't dance…"

"Yeah, and you didn't bowl either. Try something new for a change. It'll be fun. You can handle it now, if you put your mind to it."

"Fine." I settled into the seat and made the mistake of looking out the window. I squeezed my eyes shut, and that was all she wrote. I was out like a light.

…Music was playing too loud and I reached for the snooze bar… My hand hit something… Not my nightstand… I didn't listen to this kind of music… I was sitting in a seat in a car? With a seatbelt on? Then it all snapped into place. I looked up and Alice smiled at me.

This was real… I hadn't dreamed it. We would be there soon. I could see the bay at Gray's Harbor. We were heading towards a waterfront, but it looked trendy and renovated with a couple of clubs, restaurants and the occasional gift shop or tourist trap.

My mind spun with the possibilities. Was I truly ready to do this? Was I making rational decisions? Was the sleep deprivation from the previous night affecting my decisions? If truth be told, I was ready to nod off again and fall asleep in my seat. I was truly surprised that I was even awake and functioning, but then Alice could be a little whirlwind as she swept me along in her wake. There was a way to fix that. I didn't need to sleep anymore if I didn't want too. Sara had shown me how.

I didn't think about the consequences as I focused on my aura and set up the feedback loop that suddenly revitalized my awareness. Energy flowed through my veins like cold fire and I was suddenly awake. More wide awake than I'd ever felt before. It did feel like the rush of speed from my limited experimentation with illegal drugs last year, only my nose didn't burn. I felt power flash through me and I knew I could do anything. Why was I concerned about tonight? I was going to see Edward. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

"Did you have a nice nap, sleepy head? I'll admit it takes some getting used to driving around with unconscious people, but at least they don't complain about my driving."

I didn't have time to answer Alice as she pulled off the highway and whipped the car into a parking place that I would have thought was much too small.

"C'mon, let's go," Alice said, as she reached for the door. "You've got your ID, right?"

"I told you I did. What was the point of even fixing my makeup if I'm just going to hide behind a glamour, Alice?" I asked as I prepared to alter my appearance to match the fake ID.

"Look at your ID." Alice told me with a smirk.

I looked at her suspiciously. Then I opened my purse to look at it, and my mouth dropped open.

It looked like me - now. Well maybe a little older but that was just makeup. The picture was of seventeen year-old Bella now, not twenty-five year-old Bella.

But not just me, me, but me now.

Like right now.

Like she'd taken a picture of me after she did my makeup and pasted it onto the ID.

Only that was impossible. It was a solid plastic embossed card with the picture printed into the plastic and a magnetic strip across the back, like a credit card.

"How… It was in my purse the whole time!" and I'd been holding it the whole time. At least I though I had. "I looked at it when I put it in at Sara's house!"

I studied it, and that wasn't all that had changed. My birthday had changed again. At least the year had. I did the math in my head and according to the ID in my purse I was twenty-one now. The name hadn't changed, though. It still said 'Isabella Marie Cullen'.

"You aren't the only one with a couple of tricks up her sleeve. C'mon, we can wait for them to call our table in the lounge. We're actually a couple of minutes early for our reservation."

"Early, huh?" I asked as I spotted the silver Volvo parked on the other side of the lot. "If I can be twenty-one now, why can't I be me?" I asked as I held up the card.

"If you were stopped and they thought it was a fake they might run the name. Isabella Swan might show up in the data base. It's safer with a different name. Besides, what's wrong with that one? Don't you like it? Try it on, and maybe you'll decide to keep it."

"Fine. Let's do this, I guess." I said, not wanting to think about the implications of her remark. I reached for the door handle and got out of the car. "So, Alice, do you think there'll be any cute guys here tonight?" I asked with heavy sarcasm as I stared across the lot at the silver Volvo.

Alice glanced at me with thinly veiled surprise and then followed my gaze as we got out of the car. "Maybe a couple… You're doing that thing Sara showed you aren't you?" She asked.

"Maybe…"

"Well tone it down. I'm gonna treat you like an adult, but keep it under control. You don't get to blame me for anything you do tonight. Otherwise I'm taking you home right now."

"Fine, Alice. I've got this under control. Now let's go have that drink."

"I didn't say anything about a drink…" she said as we got to the door.

"We're going to the lounge to meet the guys. What else are you supposed to do in a bar?" She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Ok, don't answer that. I'll be good."

She nodded and we walked through the door into the restaurant. We took off our coats and checked them with the coat room attendant. Alice stepped up to the hostess podium and asked about our reservation.

She'd rushed me out of the house like we were going to be late or something, but now we were almost an hour early for dinner. It had to be part of the plan, but I didn't comment as she led me into the lounge and found us a quiet booth in the back of the darkened room.

_To be Continued_

**Author's Note:**

Ok, the hard part was deciding where to break this off for a chapter break. I could have made this longer, but I thought dinner and the rest of the evening deserved their own chapter. I have a lot more of this written, but I'm not exactly sure when I'll be posting it. I'll throw the next chapter up when I find the next good break point.


	14. Chapter 14 A Night for New Experiences

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rating**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Let me apologize up front to those of you that don't like really long chapters. I know this chapter is ridiculously long, but there wasn't a good place to break it up. I wanted to finish this particular episode before I moved on in the story. I couldn't really split it in half, because it just gets to the good part at about the halfway mark. I didn't want to have all build up and stop, and then all action in the next part with no build up.

Now for the good news.

**Warning:** This chapter contains lemons and graphic descriptions of kinky sex play. If you don't want to deal with that, don't read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 14 A Night for New Experiences

Previously:

_She nodded and we walked through the door into the restaurant. We took off our coats and checked them with the coat room attendant. Alice stepped up to the hostess podium and asked about our reservation. _

_She'd rushed me out of the house like we were going to be late or something, but now we were almost an hour early for dinner. It had to be part of the plan, but I didn't comment as she led me into the lounge and found us a quiet booth in the back of the darkened room._

_And the story continues:_

I didn't see Edward or Jasper, but then I didn't expect Alice to simply lead us to their table and invite me to sit down next to him. She was more subtle than that. She knew I knew they were here, but she'd follow her plan. It didn't take long to unfold. They stepped out of the men's room almost as soon as we were seated. Edward didn't seem to have noticed me yet, but Jasper was trying to stifle a grin as they came our way.

They were both dressed up nice, and didn't exactly look like high school students anymore in this environment. They looked more like a couple of young twenty-something guys out on the town having a good time in their dress slacks, button down dress shirts and a couple of Ralph Lauren vests.

"Why can't we just sit at the bar, Jazz? We don't need a table..."

"We do tonight. Just humor me. Besides, you're gonna owe me that drink now. I won the bet."

"I don't think so. I haven't eaten anything here, and the terms were clear. I don't even know why I'm here. We I should have gone to Rainier with Alice."

"Didn't you say that wasn't a good idea and you should give her some space to get used to the idea?"

"I changed my mind. Am I not allowed to be wrong?"

"Who are you, and what have you done with Edward Cullen? You're never wrong, let alone admit it. She does have you frazzled, doesn't she?"

"Perhaps a bit. I don't even see why we had to come here tonight. This is Alice's thing, right? Or are you developing a taste for this too…?"

"Alice?" Edward asked in obvious surprise as he found himself standing in front of our booth. "I thought you said you were going to the basketball game in Rainier tonight?"

"I said was going to drive down towards Rainier, and I do remember mentioning that there was a basketball game tonight, but I never said I was actually going to it."

"So this is what you were hiding from me this afternoon?" Edward asked. He was addressing Alice, but his eyes were on me, and I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks as I felt his eyes rake up and down my form.

"Sit down, Edward," Jasper said as he slid into the booth next to Alice. "You're blocking the waitress."

"May I join you?" Edward asked and I nodded. He slid into the booth next to me, much closer than we sat even in Biology. I could feel his leg pressed along side mine, but I didn't try to move away.

"Can I take your order to get you started tonight?" The waitress asked a little dubiously as she stepped up to the table.

"Alice?" Jasper asked.

Alice nodded. "I'll have a double shot of Patron, no lime, Please."

"You and your Tequila," Jasper commented with a smirk. "I'll take a double shot of Jack, neat."

Edward looked at me. "Bella, what can I get you?"

"Let's keep this light to start out. I'll just have a Bud long neck, please."

"Alright, and bring me a double bourbon, straight up." Edward said, turning to address the waitress.

"Ok, folks, I'm gonna need to see some IDs…"

"Of course…" Edward agreed and there were nods and murmurs of agreement around the table as everyone reached for their wallets.

Alice handed her ID to Jasper and he handed them to the waitress. She looked them over with a suspicious eye, obviously looking for signs they were fake.

"You two related?" She asked as she looked up at Alice. "You don't look alike."

"Happily married," Alice said, and I wondered what name was on the ID she'd supplied. I hadn't noticed the ring on her left hand when we were at Sara's, but it was obvious now. The waitress nodded and handed the IDs back and turned to Edward.

I handed my ID to Edward. He glanced at it and then glared at Alice as he handed our IDs to the waitress. The waitress took them and looked them over too before handing them back to Edward.

"You two married too?" she asked, and I could feel the blush rise in my cheeks. Of course she'd think that…

"No, cousins by marriage," Edward lied. "Is there going to be a problem with our order?"

"Nope, no problem. We card everyone under thirty-five. The state sends in kids to try and order drinks sometimes, and I've gotta pay the fine if I sell to someone underage. You guys just look awful young, but your papers good. I'll get those drinks," she said and then left to go to the bar for our order.

"Did you give Bella this ID, Alice?" Edward asked, holding it up accusingly when the waitress was gone.

"I got it for her, Edward." Jasper answered. "I didn't think there was anything wrong with it."

"But she told you what it should say. It has my name on it. You should have asked…" Edward handed me back the ID, but he was still glaring at Alice.

"It has Carlisle's name on it, and we all use it from time to time," Alice said. "I like the ring of it. It fits. I told her to try it on, and if she liked it, maybe she could keep it."

"You presume too much, Alice. You should have asked…"

"It's alright, Edward. I don't mind. It's just an ID, ok? A piece of paper doesn't matter."

"It matters to me, Bella. Should you choose to take my name, I would prefer the opportunity to ask you more formally and make it legal. I understand that we need to take certain liberties with the legal system because of our circumstances, but it still matters to me."

"Fine, if you don't want me to use your name, then here." I handed him the ID card.

"I would dearly love for you to share my name, but not like this. Let me fix this, ok?" He passed his hand over the card and handed it back to me. Everything was the same except now the name read 'Isabella Marie Swan'.

"What if they want to see it again tonight?" I asked.

"They won't ask again here, and if they do we'll take care of it."

"Alright," I put it away. I wasn't going to get mad over something little and stupid. Besides, in a way I agreed with him, even if he was hinting about the possibility of marriage at some point with his comments. I was sure that was why Alice had done it.

The waitress came back with our drinks and set them on the table. I picked up my beer and took a sip.

"Ok, Alice, obviously you aren't going to the basketball game, and Jasper wanting to get me out of the house for a guy's night out was apparently a ploy. What exactly are our plans tonight?"

"We have dinner reservations here in another thirty-five minutes. After dinner I thought we'd hit some clubs. Nick's has that band you wanted to see, and we can run by Julian's for a while if you like. I can call ahead if you want me to…"

"No, Alice. Dancing and drinks is fine. Save the rest for another night. Are you ok with this, Bella? I'm sure Alice gave you very little choice in the matter."

"No, I'm good. This is fine." I said as I picked up my beer and took another sip.

"I thought you said you weren't ready to have dinner with me?"

"I'm not going to dinner with you. Alice brought me. I don't mind sitting with you as long as we're all going out together."

"I see why you two get along so well now. Perhaps I should hire Alice as my social secretary. When did splitting hairs become part of the high school curriculum?"

"Natural talent, although Alice does tell me I need to study law when we go to college."

"College, hmm? I suppose we are about due. It's fun the first couple of times through. Although allowing her to attend law school was one of my bigger mistakes. She was good enough at getting her way without learning how to make an even more convincing argument."

"_You_ allowed her to go to law school?" I asked confused. "Why would that be your decision?"

Edward was looking at Alice intently and then gave an almost imperceptible nod. I had the feeling that another much more silent conversation had taken place between them that I wasn't a part of.

"I don't make peoples decisions for them. I simply argue my position if I feel it has merit. Alice is an adult. She can make her own decisions. I'm sure Jasper has more to say about anything she does than I do."

"As if what I say matters," Jasper interjected. "She tells me what to do."

"As it should be, that's how the world works." Alice said with a grin. "I never understood the women's lib movement. We always had all the power anyhow if we were smart enough to use it."

"You're not telling me something." I said, still looking into Edward's eyes.

"There are still a lot of things we both need to learn about each other." Edward said as he stroked the edge of my hand with his fingertip. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just ask me."

Electricity shot up my arm making my body tingle at his simple touch, and I liked it. I reached for his hand and captured it in mine, sliding our joined hands off the table. I held his hand on top of my leg as he traced circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. I wasn't complaining and snuggled a little closer to him in the booth. I needed to be close to him. I didn't know why, but I got that warm fuzzy feeling inside when I was with him, like I had a physical need to touch him.

"I don't know what questions to ask yet," I told him, "but I'll figure it out."

"Ok. So what are your plans for college? Have you applied to many schools yet? What are you interested in studying? Alice's recommendation not withstanding, do you have a preference for a particular major?"

"I guess I do need to get started, don't I. I haven't actually applied to any schools yet, but it was kind of a low priority for me before I came to Forks. As far as majors go, I always thought I'd study English or Literature but that doesn't really pay the bills does it? I always figured I'd end up as an English teacher somewhere, but it doesn't look like that's likely to happen now."

"The best schools will be looking at a lot of juniors already. It pays to get the process started early."

"Well, I won't be going to any of the 'best schools'. I have to be realistic and see how much financial aid I'll have available. I don't want to be paying student loans off for the rest of my natural life."

"Why would you say that? You should be able to go to any school you want to and study whatever makes you happy. Why can't you be an English teacher if that's what you'd like to do?"

"My father's not a rich man, Edward. Besides, I don't expect him to pay for all of my education, anyhow. If I'm going to make something out of my life, it's going to be up to me. Maybe law isn't such a bad idea. I don't think I could stomach business, and I definitely don't have a head for numbers."

"You know, an English degree doesn't just lead to a teaching position. Long before the diversity of degree programs that we see now, English degrees gained a reputation for providing a link to centuries of knowledge. While an English degree isn't 'job training', it provides an education in the English language and what's been created from it."

"You sound like the dean of admissions."

"I have done this a couple of times before. This was one of the first degrees I received."

"One of the first? How many do you have?"

"Several. An English degree helps you build important research and critical thinking skills. You learn to determine what's important and synthesize that information for the use of others. You'll learn to read with a critical eye while also polishing your own writing skills.

"I suppose, but how does that get me a job or start a career?"

Edward shrugged. "That hasn't been an issue for us. To teach English, you'd need a regional certificate and extra credits specifically in education."

"I'd be paying college loans forever on a high school teacher's salary."

"You know, you don't have to limit yourself to the high school arena. College level instructors and professors make decent salaries, although that might require some specialization. Some English majors choose to specialize in one period, genre or author, and spend their time taking the supporting classes to give them that specialized study."

"That doesn't sound so bad, but it sounds like it would take a long time."

"It could. That degree of specialization usually leads to graduate studies. Other graduate areas can include linguistics, film and drama, and even writing hypertext for interactive media. Then again, there are other career paths besides just teaching. Working in the various media would require a set of electives in those disciplines, so you'd take courses that pertain to the field that you're interested in."

"Ok, so what you're saying is that I have a lot of options to consider. I don't think that's going to happen now, although some of those other options do sound interesting."

"An English degree is an excellent springboard for a further education in law or medicine." Alice chimed in.

"Medicine? I do have quite a lot of experience with doctors, but usually as the patient. I'd never really considered it as a career path. I'm not good with blood."

There were chuckles around the table, and I realized too late what I'd said. I suppose this audience would find that humorous.

"Most of us have gone to medical school at least once," Alice said, "and law school too." She looked at Edward with a smirk and he shrugged.

"At least once?"

"Seriously, Edward," Alice said, "Who goes to medical school twice? You've got the degrees, but have you ever even considered practicing?"

"No, not seriously, I look too young for people to trust me as a doctor. Carlisle barely gets away with it. Besides, my trips through medical school were widely separated by several decades. The technology had changed enough that the majority of the curriculum and the techniques that were taught were different and new each time."

"I think I'm going to work on my doctorate in philosophy the next time we go to college." Jasper commented. "You know, medicine isn't all cutting, pills and potions, Bella. Have you considered psychology or any of the humanities?"

"What… like a psychiatrist or something?"

"Perhaps you'd find a study of parapsychology interesting given your recent introduction to the mythical world. Many of the professors that specialize in those fields are also awakened and have more knowledge than is necessarily on the published syllabus."

That sounded interesting. I did have a keen interest in what I could do and the possibilities of the new realities my eyes had been opened to. Vampires and werewolves were real, and Sara had mentioned elves or fairies. What else was real out there that I'd always thought was a myth? I'd need more information, but maybe a major in psychology would work for me when I went to college.

We chatted about school some more, and I was starting to get an idea of just how many degrees Edward had. Alice and Jasper had been to college several times too, but apparently they had found other things to occupy their time through the years besides just going to school. Married couple things that were best kept private but made their way into the conversation, regardless. I was glad when the hostess called for a party of four for Whitlock. Alice must have used her married name when she made the reservations.

Edward helped me up from the booth, and held my hand as we followed Alice, Jasper and the hostess to our table. He held my chair for me when we got to the table, and then sat beside me. Alice ordered another round of drinks, and the waitress left us with our menus.

I couldn't understand why we had to wait for a table, unless they were simply going by the time that Alice had given them when she made the reservation. It was early on a Monday night, and the place was practically deserted. The lounge had been more crowded than the restaurant. There were another couple of parties widely spaced throughout the dining area, but we had a considerable degree of privacy once we were seated.

Jasper and Edward laid their menus on the table without even bothering to look at them while Alice and I perused the selections. The prices seemed higher than what I was used to, but it was a nice restaurant. There was a wide selection of surf and turf, but I knew better than to order seafood unless I wanted to drive my dinner companions away from the table.

"There are so many choices," I said as I closed the menu and laid it on the table with Edward's. "What are you going to have, Edward?" I asked.

"I hadn't planned on making a selection, but I'm more than happy to wait for you to finish."

"Why aren't you ordering? You aren't taking me to dinner if you don't eat something too. I'm not the floor show or an exhibit to ogle."

"I didn't think I was taking you to dinner. You made it clear you were here with Alice. I was under the impression that this didn't count as a date."

"If I let it be a date will you have dinner with me?"

"Alright, I would be honored to accompany you tonight."

"Thank you. So what are you going to order?"

Alice was trying very hard to suppress her laughter, but I could hear small chuckles escaping. Jasper had a broad grin on his face while Edward wore a pained expression.

"I assume you mean for dinner. Off of the menu…" he said as he tapped it with his finger. "I hadn't really considered the possibility. I suppose I'll have to actually eat whatever I order…" I nodded, and Edward sighed. "Jasper, a little help here?"

"Steak, very rare is probably your best choice. You've been hunting with Alice, but I don't know if she ever talked you into trying it her way…"

"No, she hasn't." Edward said as he glared at Alice. She just grinned at him, like she was finally getting him to do something he'd long refused.

"The Prime Rib is pretty good, all things considered. I like it with a little ground horse radish. Don't get the horse radish sauce. They mix it with sour cream. Ask for the ground horse radish." Edward nodded to acknowledge the advice and then turned back to me.

"You really want me to do this, don't you?" He asked as he looked at me imploringly.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." He seemed to perk up. "If you'd prefer not to have dinner with me, then we can do this some other time…"

"No. I want to have dinner with you, now, tonight. I'm not putting anything off any longer, Bella."

"Good," I said as the waitress walked up to the table to take our order. "You're up."

"Good evening, folks. What can I get for you tonight?"

"Alice, why don't you begin?" Edward said, deferring to her.

"Ok." She picked up her menu and flipped through the pages. "Why don't we start off with an appetizer? Let's get an order of these buffalo chicken wings. I'll have the green salad, no dressing. Then I'll have the petite cut Prime Rib. Make that just as rare as the chef can get away with legally. No potato. What do you have for a vegetable tonight?"

"There's a nice steamed winter squash, chopped mixed vegetables, or corn."

"I'll have the mixed vegetable, thank you. Jazz?"

"Please, Bella, go ahead," Jasper said. "Ladies first."

"Thank you. Do you have any specials tonight?" I asked. I knew what I was going to order, but I felt naughty, and wanted to push the envelop a little.

"There's a very nice grilled sea bass, and we're having a special on the steak and lobster. There's a fresh batch in, and you can make your selection."

I could sense the chagrin from my companions at the mention of the seafood selections, although they all did a remarkably good job of schooling their expressions.

"How's the swordfish?" I asked. Edward was still holding my hand, and I felt him flinch at my question.

"Very good. We have it shipped in fresh daily. It's never frozen, and comes right off the boat."

"Well, maybe next time. I guess I'll start off with a green salad with Thousand Island dressing. I'm going to have the Rib Eye steak, medium rare. No potato and I'll have the steamed squash."

"Ok. So, gentlemen, who's next?"

"By all means, Jasper, go ahead." Edward said.

"Alright. I'll have the Prime Rib, and go ahead and make that just as rare as the chef can get away with legally." Jasper smiled fondly at Alice, and then went on. "Just brown it on both sides, and I'll make do. You can put a baked potato on the plate if you like, or not, and I'll have some ground horse radish on the side, please. Not the horse radish sauce, mind you. Just plain ground horse radish. The hotter the better."

"Alright," The waitress nodded as she wrote on her pad, and then turned to Edward. "And you, sir?"

"I'll have the same, thank you."

"Ok, I'll get that appetizer coming for you. Can I get you anything else? Would you like to order drinks for dinner?"

"Have the cocktail waitress bring another the round," Edward looked around at us. "The same? Bella, are you ok, or would you like something different from the bar?"

"No, I'm good. I'll just have another beer."

"Ok," the waitress said, and then left to go turn in our order.

"You weren't truly considering ordering fish, were you?" Edward asked.

"Maybe… Would it really be that bad?"

"She wasn't," Alice said as she smirked at Edward. "I think somebody was having a bit of fun at your expense."

The cocktail waitress from the lounge showed up with our drinks and served them on cocktail napkins in front of us. She had our appetizer, and set the platter of hot wings in the center of the table and then went back to the lounge. We already had hors d'oeuvre plates on the table. I reached for a couple and set them on my plate. Alice took a couple, but Edward and Jasper made no move to touch them.

"I can't believe that none of your dates have ever ordered seafood." I said as I nibbled on a hot wing. They were good, but I was going to need another beer. "What are the odds of that happening? We live next to an ocean, and most of these nicer restaurants have a rather large seafood selection."

"Well…," Edward said a little sheepishly, "I don't actually let them." He knew it was a sore subject with me, and he probably didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh… So they have free will to do whatever they want, as long as it's what you want too? What about when it's not what you want? You change their mind for them?"

"Not on the important things…"

"And who decides what's important? You?"

"Why should the date have to end over something stupid like what to have for dinner? They still want to be there, and they're looking forward to the rest of the evening. Does it really matter if I limit the menu options? They still get to pick what they want. Would it be any different if I simply lied and told them I was deathly allergic to seafood?"

"Why would it matter if your date had seafood for dinner? Couldn't you simply hold your breath? I can't imagine you were sharing the meal with them. More like waiting for them to finish, right? Can't deal with a little fish breath when you kiss them? I'm sure you could always offer them a breath mint."

"Think about what you're asking, Bella," Alice said. "It gets into their system too, not just on their breath. You know where this is going."

"Oh… Oh! I hadn't considered that… So it affects the taste too? That fast?"

"Why don't we change the subject?" Edward asked. I could see he was getting uncomfortable discussing this with me. "You mentioned before that you didn't think you'd be able to become a high school English teacher anymore. Why? What's changed?"

"Umm… That's still the same conversation. Everything has changed. I'm not the same person I was in Phoenix anymore. I still have a lot to learn, but now I know there are people out there that don't like what I am. I don't see myself fitting into a classroom full of high school students as the teacher anymore. My options have changed."

Edward was quiet while the waitress served Alice and me our salads, and then she walked back to the kitchen. I could almost hear the wheels going round as he mulled over what I'd said. I had probably given too much away already.

"The same conversation…? Why don't you see yourself fitting into a classroom full of high school students as the teacher now?"

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. We might as well get this out in the open if we were going to discuss it.

"Why can't you be a doctor? You said your patients wouldn't trust you, right? The teacher's supposed to look older than her class, right? I don't think the child prodigy story would fly, and how would I ever gain and hold their respect?"

"Receiving an English degree and the necessary certifications required to teach would take several years. You would acquire a natural maturity over the course of those years. Although I'm convinced you would remain just as beautiful as you are today."

I knew I was blushing at his comment. I didn't consider myself beautiful, but Alice had done a pretty good job with the makeup. You had to do the best you could with what you had to work with.

"Let's just say that I have a sneaking suspicion that that isn't going to happen. You know, Alice isn't the only one who can look at the future."

"Remember what I said, Bella? Not tonight. I think we need to change the subject again. Tell me, what kind of car are you looking for?"

"I'm not really sure, but I know it was red."

"…you know it was red? What have you been doing?"

"I told you, Edward. They were messing around scrying with a crystal ball on Sunday morning. Bella had some visions…"

"And this has changed your perspective on your possibilities for the future. You do understand just how subjective the future is, don't you? Nothing is set in stone."

"Let's just say my eyes were opened, and I know I have options I hadn't considered before."

"What options? What did you see?"

Alice was glaring at me now. I knew this was a touchy subject. "Alice told me not to bring it up. I'm not allowed to talk about it." Then I turned to Alice. "The car I saw was definitely a two-door coupe, but it felt like it had a healthy back seat. It was fairly clean and modern, but not new. I'm thinking mid-sized."

"Do you want me to just tell you, or would you rather wait and be surprised?"

"I think I'll wait. It's more fun that way…"

"Wait one minute." Edward said. "I want to know what you saw."

"Can't you just drop it and wait and see how things work out? I saw a vision of the car I think I'm going to buy. Maybe a few more things…"

"Not if it affects your life as much as you seem to think. I need to know."

"You don't want to know, Edward," Alice said. "It will only upset you."

"You've seen this too, haven't you? Is this what you've been hiding from me? Your thoughts have been cloudy and distracted ever since Bella moved to Forks. What else have you been hiding from me?"

"Why do you need to know? It's my life. I'm not saying anything. Besides, you can't read my mind so it's a moot point."

"No, not really, not for me," Edward said, and then turned to Alice. "I know you've seen this too, Alice. Show me what you saw."

"Promise you won't be mad?" She was looking at both of us, but I had the impression she was asking him more than me.

"Don't make me order you, Alice. It'll be ok… This is important to me."

"Just remember you asked for this."

Alice closed her eyes and seemed to concentrate for a minute. I felt Edward tense beside me and I could feel the tension in the air. He turned to look at me, and I could see the sorrow in his eyes. It made me mad. I didn't want his pity.

"I'm sorry… I'll do everything in my power to prevent this from happening."

"You showed him, didn't you?" I said to Alice.

"Yes."

"What we talked about outside the bowling alley?"

"Yes."

I turned to look at Edward. "It's not up to you to prevent anything. This is something I need to think about. It isn't any of your concern."

"This is entirely my concern. It affects me just as much as it affects you."

I could see the waitress and another server headed our way from the kitchen with our dinner order, and I tried to use it as a minor reprieve to delay this conversation.

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you now. We can discuss this in private later. Dinner is about to be served."

"This matter requires no discussion. It's not going to happen."

"Oh, trust me. We'll be talking about this if we talk at all."

"Edward," Alice said. "You aren't making this better. Let it go for now. Let's have dinner, and then you two can discuss it in private."

"Fine. Let's play human, then. I really thought you would have out grown this by now, Alice."

"Look who's talking, Peter Pan. I don't have to grow up if I don't want too. Enjoy your steak." Alice said with a smirk and Edward looked toward the waitress with obvious distress.

They shut up when the waitress got to the table with our order and started to set plates in front of us. Dinner looked fantastic and I was hungry. I'd only picked at lunch and I was ready for dinner. I spread my napkin on my lap, and my mouth was watering at the aroma as I picked up my knife and fork. Edward was eyeing his steak a little dubiously as he poked at it tentatively with his fork.

"You do remember how to use that, right?" Alice asked with a grin as she enjoyed his dilemma. "Would you like me to cut your meat for you?"

"I knew it was a mistake, teaching you how to speak, but Esme insisted. I hold advanced degrees in medicine and biology. I think I can handle dissecting my dinner."

"Fine, doc. Stop jawing and start carving." Jasper said. "I have to admit, I've waited a long time to see this."

"You just want to win the bet."

"Sure, but you're not doing this because of any bet. I know what's really going on here." Jasper glanced over at me and smiled warmly, and then turned back to Edward. "Now eat your dinner and enjoy it. I think you're going to be doing a lot of this now."

Edward sighed and resigned himself to eating his dinner. He cut a piece of his steak and looked at it on the end of his fork for a second before placing it in his mouth. It looked almost raw to me, but that seemed to be how Alice liked it. Their earlier discussion led me to believe that she often indulged in eating at least part of her kill raw in the forest when she hunted so this wasn't too far of a stretch for them.

The conversation quieted as we settled in to eat dinner. I knew I was enjoying the meal, and Alice seemed to like it. Jasper appeared much more at ease than he had on New Years at the Chinese restaurant. Edward didn't complain anymore, but I didn't know if he actually enjoyed himself or if he was simply doing this for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed my steak, and I was surprised how much Edward actually ate with relatively little prodding. I wouldn't be surprised if he in fact enjoyed it but put on a show of not liking it because that was what was expected of him. I laid my silverware on the platter when the waitress came around to clear away the dishes.

"Can I interest you in any dessert tonight?" she asked when she came back to the table.

"Bella, would you like anything else?" Edward asked.

"No, I'm fine. Maybe we can pick up something later on the trip home."

"Ok. Just the check please then," Edward said as he turned back to the waitress.

"Hey, this is my party. I invited all of you." Alice said. She already had her credit card out, and handed it to the waitress before Edward could complain. "Go ahead and tell them to put the bar tab on that too."

"Very good. Let me get this totaled up and I'll be right back."

"So we're heading to Nick's next?" Edward asked.

"Sure, that sounds good. Bella, do you want to ride with Edward? Jazz can ride with me, and we'll meet you at the club. The band doesn't play for another couple of hours, so you two don't need to hurry if you'd like to talk… or something… for a bit."

"Ok…" I said a little tentatively. I hadn't planned on being alone with Edward so soon, but it was bound to happen eventually.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Edward said a little dejectedly.

"No, I want to. I just wasn't expecting this to happen so soon. C'mon, let's go. We have some things to talk about."

We didn't wait for the waitress to bring back Alice's credit card. Edward stood up, and held my chair for me so I could stand up. We said goodbye, and he got my coat from the coat check by the door. He helped me into it, and then collected a sport coat and a longer overcoat of his own while I buttoned my coat and fastened the belt. It wasn't exactly frigid out, but I was more used to ninety degree weather, not fifty degree weather. He held the door for me and we stepped outside.

I started to walk toward his car, but Edward reached for my hand and stopped me. "Wait, Bella, you aren't in a hurry to get to the club, are you?"

I turned to look at him. "No… What did you have in mind?"

"We have some time. Maybe we could go for a walk. Look around here. It would help me understand your motivations more if we knew more about each other."

"Ok."

Edward was still holding my hand, and I fell into step beside him as we strolled up the wharf. The setting was kind of picturesque. There was a small marina with sailboats and pleasure yachts and a couple of commercial fishing boats beyond the restaurant. It didn't freeze here, and snow was infrequent enough to be a rare notable occurrence. People still took their boats out on the water despite the season. There were still some people out puttering around in the marina and other couples going in and out of the clubs and restaurants.

"So tell me something about you. I told you my life story the other night. Who is Edward Cullen?" I asked.

"What would you like to know?"

I knew the big question I wanted to ask, but I felt it was better to work up to it.

"Where were you born? What do you remember about your parents and growing up?"

"I was born in Chicago. I lived there until I was seventeen, but I don't really remember much about my life before I was changed. Human memories fade over time. They seem so cloudy and vague compared to our memories after the change."

"You don't even remember your parents?" That was a little shocking to me. My parents were such a big part of my life now, but I knew that would change someday. It was still hard to imagine a time when I wouldn't even remember much about them.

"I have a few memories. Mostly memories tied to strong emotions. I have an advantage that most don't. Carlisle treated my parents and knew them, at least in the hospital. He was able to speak to my mother a few times. I've seen his memories of her in his thoughts and made them mine."

"Alice told me a story about how Carlisle saved somebody from an epidemic. She said he was experimenting to try and cure a plague, but he thought his patient had died. That was you, wasn't it?"

"Alice has been telling you too much. I'm going to have to have a talk with her."

"Please don't be angry with her. She's my friend, and these were things I needed to know. I don't want to get her in trouble over this."

"Alright. Alice is lucky to have such a good friend."

"So that was you that Carlisle saved?"

"Saved? I didn't think so for a very long time. He succeeded in creating yet another demon to prey upon the world of man. I was the first of his creations. I would like to think that I've mostly shackled that demon, but my civility is only a thin veneer, a façade to entice my victims into my grasp."

"And am I to be your next hapless victim?"

"Perhaps. This is the part where you're supposed to go running off screaming into the night."

"I'll pass. I feel safe enough in your company."

"You shouldn't."

"I've done a lot of things I shouldn't."

"Tell me about that."

"Not tonight. It's my turn, remember? We're talking about you."

"Ok, what else would you like to know?"

It seemed like a good enough opening; maybe I was brave enough to ask him now.

"How old are you? I asked Alice, but she said I'd have to discuss it with you."

"Seventeen."

"How long have you been seventeen?"

"A while..."

"I thought we were past the evasiveness? You said you'd tell me anything I wanted to know."

"I'm trying to not scare you away. You've proven remarkably resilient and adaptable, but I'm trying to avoid pushing you over the edge."

"Give me a little credit, Edward. I think I can handle it. I deal with weird well enough. I'm tougher than I look. I know some kindred are thousands of years old. I know Alice is seventy-two, and she said you were older than her. So where do you fit in?"

"You aren't helping to keep Alice in my good graces by telling me more of what she's let slip."

"She didn't let anything 'slip'. Angela told me most of this. She explained to me what you were, although I'd met your kind before I met her and had a name for you. She doesn't know about any of you specifically. Stop avoiding the issue. Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Your friend appears to be remarkably well informed." He paused with a contemplative look on his face as though he was carefully considering his words. "I haven't always been a good person, Bella. I wholly deserved your opinion of my behavior for certain periods of my existence."

I didn't comment, but stopped walking and turned to face Edward. I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. I reached for his other hand as I looked up into his eyes. I could see him deliberate over his answer from the concern and then finally resignation in his expression.

"I was born in Chicago in 1901. Carlisle found me dying in a hospital in 1918 and brought me into this existence while experimenting with his altruism. I will admit he was successful in reducing the impact of the plague through his efforts. It's a pity that the benefit he achieved in lives saved was off set by the accident of my creation."

I quickly did the math in my head. That would make him one hundred and five years old. It didn't shock me as much as I thought it would. I guess I was kind of expecting it after hanging out with Alice for so long. She had dropped enough hints that I pretty much knew he was from an earlier century. I just hadn't known which one until now. Still, it seemed like a long time to me. A lot could happen in that many years.

"And you've been with him ever since he changed you?"

"No." He looked away and I could see the pain in his expression again. He let my other hand go and pulled me beside him as we continued our walk.

"He felt compassion for me and took me in to train me and help me adjust to this parody of life after he discovered what he had done. I became his responsibility because he had created me, but he released me to live as I wished once I was no longer a danger to our secret."

"So you left? What did you do?"

"I will admit that I was young and resentful of what he had done to me, but I was also consumed by the urges and possibilities presented to me by what I had become. I left for a time and lived on my own. I am not proud of those years… I gave in to the demon. I let my urges control my life and I lived as a traditional incubus."

"How traditional? Like you family lives now?"

"No, our lifestyle today is much more civilized than my existence during those early years. I became the monster of legend. The creature that makes you fear the dark. I was more like a nomad… but my gift gave me a unique advantage. I could always read the thoughts of those around me, so I endeavored to justify my existence by preying upon the dregs of human society. I fed only upon criminals; the murders, abusers and rapists that preyed upon human victims of their own."

"So you became a vigilante...? I suppose if you had to choose that's better than preying on innocents. Did you kill them?"

"Usually. If I let them go they would have simply continued their crimes. After a time I grew jaded and cynical. You don't seem upset, Bella. I just told you that I'm a murderer."

"My dad's a cop. I'm not opposed to the idea of capital punishment. You knew they were guilty. I believe the punishment should fit the crime…"

"Then I am just as guilty as my victims… I found myself meting out death for petty indiscretions; little things that hardly warranted a sentence of death. Besides, in all those years I had never truly mastered my other demons."

"You don't kill people anymore, right?" he shook his head in agreement with my question.

"What brought you back?"

"I met a girl."

"She's the one you told me about at lunch today…"

"Yes. She didn't know what I was until the end, and then it was too late."

"How did that cause you to return to your family?"

"I wanted to try and live up to her expectations for the life she thought I could live. I was compelled to seek out Carlisle and Esme after her untimely demise."

"You loved her."

"Yes… but I made mistakes. I felt I had to protect her from what I was. I tried to leave so she could live a normal life, but I couldn't stay away. I hurt her… I did not comprehend that she could love me as strongly as she did. By the time I realized my mistakes it was too late..."

"Did she kill herself?"

"No. I was much more a direct cause of her death. I would prefer not to discuss the minute details of this matter, Bella…"

"Alright. So after you went back home you stayed with your family?"

Yes. I remained with them and Carlisle became my mentor. He is the most compassionate and civilized of us all. He has been like a father to me. He provided my first training in the arcane arts. Today we are colleagues and partners in a variety of endeavors. We aid each other in our various researches."

"You saw Alice's vision at dinner tonight. I saw that future too, at Angela's house…"

"I don't want to discuss that, Bella."

"I think it's something we need to discuss. I haven't made any decisions. I just want to talk about it."

"There's nothing to discuss. It isn't going to happen, end of discussion."

"That's not your decision to make. It's my life. I choose how I'll live it and what I do or do not become."

We had reached the end of the wharf and stopped by the railing looking out over the marina. The moon was up now and it was a crisp clear night this far south at the base of the Olympic Peninsula. The stars were sparkling above us shining clearly in the night sky.

I turned to face Edward and looked up into his bright topaz eyes. I wanted to melt as I gazed into their depths, but I wasn't going to let that happen. I was mad and we were going to have this talk. I would not be dictated to, and if we had any chance of making this work, we had to both understand what was going on.

"It's not that simple. There are other people involved." He said softening his tone as he stared back into my eyes.

"Then explain it to me so I know. Don't treat me like a child and simply tell me no. I need to understand your reasoning if you expect me to accept it. You told me you have feelings for me, Edward. You said leaving your last girlfriend was the biggest mistake of your life. In case you hadn't noticed, you don't age, but I still do. Isn't it logical that if we plan to be together for more than a couple of dates that we should be equals?"

I reached for his other hand and held both of his hands as I stared up into his eyes.

"I am willing to accept the fact that you will age over the course of years. That would not diminish the feelings I have for you."

"I'm glad to hear that, but I'm not willing to accept that. You might not object, but I'll be damned if I'm going to look forty or fifty years old and run around with a teenaged boy on my arm. I'm not willing to accept people thinking you're my son or grandson when there's something more going on. That's just sick. So unless this is just some fling to you, you better think of another solution."

Edward looked away and I could see the pain in his expression again. His voice was hushed as he spoke, and I knew the words were hard for him to say.

"I'll try to stay away when you don't want me around anymore. I will endeavor to allow you to attempt to live a normal human life…"

I was still holding his hands in mine and I wouldn't let him pull away. I held on tight and stepped closer to him so we were almost touching.

"You're missing the point, Edward. I'm never going to have a normal human life now. I'm not a normal human. I don't want you to try to stay away…"

His head snapped back around and he gazed deeply into my eyes. I looked back at him and met his gaze as I looked up at his beautiful face, so close to mine now.

"What are you trying to say, Bella?"

"I like you too, Edward. I'm still exploring my feelings, but I know there's something there. I've never felt like this for anyone else before, but I like it. If we do this, If I let these feelings grow into something more, I'm not going to let you go. You have to understand that, right?"

I let go of his hands as he moved them to my hips and then circled them around my waist to the small of my back, pulling me against his body. I could feel the hard bulge in the front of his pants grinding into me, but I didn't complain and moved my hands up to rest on his shoulders.

"I don't want you to have to let me go. We'll make this work."

He was gazing deeply into my eyes, and I was looking up into his.

His cool sweet breath flowed over my face as I inhaled his intoxicating scent, and then Edward was leaning into me.

Our lips met as he pressed his gently over mine. His lips were cool and a little moist when he kissed me. His mouth was slightly open and his lips on mine felt amazing. I felt myself returning the pressure. His lips moved in a slow, circular motion and I parted mine as my mouth opened to him and I kissed him back.

My arms snaked around his neck as my fingers tangled in his hair. I lightly scraped my nails across his scalp as I pulled him tighter against me.

My lips open a little more over his and the tip of my tongue touched his lower lip, begging for entry, but his lips remained frustratingly closed, not opening anymore than when he'd first kissed me, as he kept the kiss chaste and friendly.

I wanted more and I could feel the desire burn in me as the delicious coil wound tighter in the pit of my stomach and pooled in my core. I could feel the dampness in my excuse for panties, and I wanted to squeeze my legs tight together as Edward held me. My legs felt weak, and I held onto Edward tighter for support.

Then the moment passed. He was pulling away and I tried to hold onto him. I blushed as I realized where we were. It wasn't like we were standing in the middle of a crowded street, but we didn't exactly have any privacy either. There were still people out and about. The shops were still open, and more people were starting to go into the restaurants and clubs.

"Please excuse me for being so forward, Bella. I have no right to take such liberties…"

"Don't apologize, Edward. I liked it. I wanted it too. Maybe we can try some more when we have more privacy, ok?"

"Alright… I assure you that my intentions are honorable. I don't want to take advantage of your human sensibilities, or push you into anything that you aren't ready for. I believe I'll allow you to set the pace for this relationship. My previous liaisons were purely a matter of convenience, and it was not an issue how fast I pushed a particular relationship to its ultimate conclusion. This is different and I don't want my natural impatience to influence how you react to me."

We started walking again as we went back down the wharf the way we'd come. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist, and held me close as I leaned into his side. I didn't feel uncomfortable with how Edward was holding me. It felt natural, but was it too soon? Should I take step back and revert to the safer position with more distance between us? I didn't want to. I liked the way Edward held me and wanted to be close to him.

"You know, the conversation isn't over." I commented as we strolled along the wharf. "You still haven't explained your reasoning to me yet."

"Can it be over for tonight?"

"No. I think this is important for me to know. I'm not ready to make any decisions, but it is something I'm going to have to think about if we're going to have any kind of future together."

"You would need to know details about my kind that I'm not inclined to share at this time for me to be able to discuss it with you."

"What details specifically?"

"You would have to know how somebody becomes one of us. I'm not ready to discuss those details with you yet, Bella."

"Would it make it any easier for you if I told you that I already know the mechanics of how the change occurs?" I felt Edward tense beside me, but we kept walking although he seemed stiffer, more distant now.

"What!" he hissed. "How…? Did Sara share this with you? She gave her word that it would remain a secret!"

"Sara didn't break any promises she made to you…"

"Wait… you aren't just guessing or telling me this to keep me talking? What exactly do you think you know?"

"Fine. I know my heart would have to stop beating while I had vampire blood in my system. The healing properties of the blood would rewrite my genetic code to change me by following the vampire DNA map."

"Alice! She was forbidden to share that information. That's almost word for word how Carlisle teaches it."

"Then perhaps she's becoming more independent. What's up with that anyhow? Don't be mad at her, ok?"

"So you don't know everything then."

"No, I guess not. She said you didn't have completely free will for all of your actions, but I'd like to know more about how that works. That could play a big part in my decision. If it's any consolation, she was forced to tell me. I would have figured it out eventually anyhow, but she did it to help me."

"Let me guess, she was saving a life?"

"Mike Newton… I had an accident and almost killed him. He would have died if she didn't save him…"

"You should have let him die… Alright, I can't hold that against her. It's the one caveat to any of our bindings. Saving a life is more important than our secrets, at least to my family."

"Ok, so I know. We can discuss this now, right? What are your objections?"

"You would have me do that to you? Feed you my blood and then drain your life away until your heart stops beating? Watch you lay there helpless while you burn through the change? I may be a monster, Bella, but even I have limits."

"You don't have to do it if I choose to become like you. You aren't the only vampire I know…"

"None would dare! If it were ever to happen it is my right! If another claimed you I would be forced to destroy them!"

"Why? You keep saying these things, but you don't explain them! You're not helping your cause, Edward, by being evasive and not telling me everything. Maybe you think you're protecting me. You said that was why you left your last girlfriend, to protect her from you. I have a stake in this too now. I can't make informed decisions without all of the information, and I won't be dictated to. Now either tell me everything, or you'll have to live with the consequences of whatever decisions I do make!"

We had arrived back at Edward's car. I knew we were heading back, but I hadn't really been paying attention to where we were going until we got there. He opened the passenger door for me.

"What if I don't want to ride with you now?"

"Be reasonable, Bella. Get in, and we'll talk, alright?"

"You'll tell me everything?"

He gave a heavy sigh in resignation and nodded his assent.

"Yes. If you're adamant about knowing all of the details, then I guess we should discuss this. You are much better informed than I had assumed. You're right. I suppose you should know the rest."

"Ok."

I let him help me into the car and he shut the door for me. He hurried around and opened the driver door and got in. He put the key in the ignition and started the car.

"What are you doing? I thought we were going to talk? We don't have to leave yet."

"I'm just starting the car so I can turn on the heater. You'll be more comfortable."

"Oh… Ok. Thank you." It was getting colder out. I hadn't realized how cold as we talked. I hadn't been paying attention.

"So where should I begin?"

"Just tell me everything, Edward."

"You seem to know most of it already."

"Well, why did you get mad? What did you mean that it's your right? Tell me about why some of you don't have free will. How does that work? And what did you mean about burning? Alice mentioned it was unpleasant, but she didn't go into detail…"

"I didn't want to scare you with too many details or too much information too soon… You know that most of my family is paired off…"

"Yes, Alice said they had all found their mates."

"You already know about that too? I can see that Alice has been very selective in the information that she has imparted to you. It would appear that she's only told you what she considers to be the good parts while leaving out all the gory details."

"Maybe she thought I should hear those parts from you. She wants us to be together. This was something we were bound to talk about."

"Alright, when one of us finds our mate, it's a permanent relationship. We change physically and emotionally. A bond forms between us..."

"That doesn't seem so bad. Wouldn't you want us to be together as equals if we were going to share something like that?"

"If you truly wanted that… then yes, I suppose I would, but it seems like such a high price to pay for my happiness. It would be perhaps the most selfish act of my existence."

"My happiness is involved in this equation too. Let me decide if you're being selfish. So what does this have to do with not having free will?"

"You have to understand the relationship between a Sire and his Progeny. The vampire that creates you, your Maker, your Sire has the power to control your will and influence your mind. It works much like our compulsion ability that allows us to control human thoughts and memories, but it's much more powerful. At least in the beginning; it weakens over time, but there is still always a permanent bond between a Sire and his Progeny."

"Your Sire can draw upon your strength and use your energy as his own. He can give you commands that you are compelled to follow. He can sense your emotional state, and you can sense his to some degree. He will always know if you're lying or telling the truth. It is a very intimate and powerful union."

"So if I were changed, my Sire would have some degree of control over my actions…"

"They would have complete control."

"How long does that last?"

"That depends on how ethical and compassionate your Sire is. Most relinquish the majority of the power they hold over their Progeny almost immediately. They don't have to. Over time, possibly a century or several decades, their control diminishes as you became more powerful. Most that desire to breakaway eventually do if they survive. It depends on how much you fight the control and how strong willed you are."

"Ok… So what does this have to do with the mate thing then? How are they related? What did you mean about it being your right?"

"Think about it, Bella. If you chose to become my mate, and we shared that bond, I could not allow another vampire to have that degree of control over you and your actions."

"So destroying my Sire would free my will and make me independent again."

"Yes, and then you would hate me for all of eternity."

"I wouldn't…"

"Trust me, you would. It's a part of that relationship."

"So to avoid all those complications…"

"Yes."

"You would have to be the vampire that turns me…"

"Yes."

"Ok."

"Ok? You would willingly sacrifice your freewill, your blood, your body, all that you are? And for what? Immortality? The chance to become a demon that lusts after nothing but murder and blood and the carnal pleasures of the flesh?"

"I meant, ok, I'll have to think about it. If I was ready to actually do that, then my blood and my body would already be yours. You'd give me my freewill. Immortality doesn't sound so bad. It's that lusting part that bugs me."

"How do you know that I would release you and give you your freewill? Are you willing to gamble a century of servitude and slavery against my compassion and good will? How do you know you can trust me?"

"I don't yet… but that's what relationships are all about, aren't they? If you loved me, you would release me."

"I would do what I thought was best for you because I love you. That might include giving you some degree of free will."

"You're just saying that to try and scare me off…"

"You don't know that. Besides, if I had control of your will, you wouldn't know it and you wouldn't care for a very long time. That's the risk you take."

"Well, when I'm ready to let you do it, I'll be able to trust you or I won't be ready. I suppose how long that takes depends on you."

"What if I am evil and simply try to gain your trust to have my wicked way with you? What if I deceive you?"

"Isn't that the risk every girl takes when she gives her heart to somebody she thinks she's in love with? I mean, if I give you my heart I'm trusting you not to break it."

"I'm willing to accept that responsibility, but I prefer it just the way it is now."

"It's going to wear out eventually the way it is now. You have it within your power to keep it forever. Don't you want to keep me around that long? Or is old age your out so you can move on and find the next sweet young thing?"

"That would not be possible…"

"Why? You did it before. We happen to be sitting here discussing it, and I'm the next girl this time. What's to prevent you from finding somebody else someday after I'm dead and gone?"

"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. Yes, I was in love, and I could have easily taken her as my mate, but I left. I didn't allow the bond to form. If I had I would not be here speaking to you today. I would have followed her in death. As it is, my situation is extremely uncommon. Few of my kind would have survived becoming as close as I did and then losing their love to death. There were unique circumstances."

"So you're saying that if we get close and something happened to me you'd kill yourself! No! You can't do anything like that! I don't want that kind of responsibility, Edward! I'm going to die someday if you won't change me! I'm not going to sit still and let you just off yourself because I'm gone!"

"Of course you would. You'd be dead, but then that is the natural order of things. That's how it's supposed to work, Bella."

"Maybe for humans. You're not human anymore, Edward. It's natural for you to live until something kills you. It's natural for you to change your mate when you find her. That's how your race grows and expands. You're the one trying to go against the natural order of things."

"It's also natural for my race to hunt humans and kill them. They're our natural prey. We've evolved beyond that as a society and learned to channel that natural bloodlust into other avenues and endeavors. Are you saying I should give in to everything that is a part of my nature?"

"Maybe not that part…"

"So you get to choose which parts of my nature I should adhere to, but I don't get the same courtesy? You know, this is something you'll have to deal with if you decide to do this."

"Not when they don't make sense or get you killed… What do you mean that's something I'll have to deal with?"

"It's part of the change, Bella. I'm sure Alice has explained to you that we need human blood to survive… When you wake up from the change, you'll need to feed on human blood to complete the process. You'd die within twenty-four hours without it. Newborns can be rather ruthless and uncontrollable. Their appetites are insatiable, and they can be very demanding and greedy. If any of us are going to make a mistake and add to the body count attributed to my race, it is the newly turned when they first feed."

I shuddered as I thought about what that would be like. I knew my ideas that I imagined of what was involved were likely light years away from what the experience would really be like.

"Couldn't I use donated blood for that? Alice says that's what Carlisle and Esme use to survive."

"Not in this instance, no. Donated blood will sustain us if we can stomach it, but when you are new it's not powerful enough to complete the change. No, that requires fresh blood from the source. I think you know where that comes from…

I shuddered again at the thought. Was anything worth taking that step?

"I'd prefer to contemplate eternity together instead of what will happen to you when I'm dead and gone or how many people I'll murder so I can be like you."

"I would endeavor to prevent you from murdering anyone, but it has been known to happen. Eternity together is a much more comfortable topic of discussion. Besides, we have a long time before we have to make any decisions."

"Not really."

"Oh come now, Bella. You don't have any terminal illnesses you're hiding, do you? We have years before this becomes any kind of an issue…"

"Maybe a year or two, but I'd think we'd come to a decision much more quickly than that."

"Ok, my turn. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm still aging, Edward. I'm not willing to accept a huge difference in our physical appearances. If we're going to be together, then we're going to look like we belong together. A year or two one way or the other doesn't matter, but If you're going to be a teenager for the rest of eternity, then so am I, or it isn't meant to be."

"So you've made your decision then? You're asking me to change you?"

"I didn't say that. We still have a long way to go before either of us is ready for that. I'm just saying you have a time limit."

"That isn't fair."

"Hello, love. What's fair about that? If you want me and I want you and we decide we belong together, then maybe we'll decide to be together forever. You were the one throwing the M-word around today. If you're willing to make that kind of commitment, how big of a stretch is it to want to change me to be like you?"

"A huge one. How do I know if I go all in and commit myself to you that you won't break my heart? If I take that step and allow the bond to form, my soul will be joined to yours for all eternity. You would do more than break my heart if you rejected me…"

"And that's the risk you take. Besides, once you change me and I'm your mate, I won't be able to leave you, will I? That doesn't seem like such a huge risk to me. You're more of a danger to yourself by refusing to change me. Not only am I still fragile and prone to old age, disease and accidents, I still have my freewill intact and my decisions are my own."

"I can see we aren't going to come to any kind of decision about this tonight. You're much too stubborn to see reason…"

"Thank you. It's a gift."

"Perhaps we should go to the club and meet Alice and Jasper?"

"Ok. This conversation isn't over, but we can continue it later after we've had time to think about it. Ok?"

"Fine. We'll table the discussion for the time being."

"So am I going to like this band we're seeing tonight?"

Edward put the car in gear and backed out of the parking place. He glanced behind himself, and then reached for the stereo.

"Here, decide for yourself," and he pressed play on the CD player.

I hadn't heard of the band before, but the Seattle area in northwestern Washington was the home to a lot of new alternative rock bands. I liked it, but it was much too loud in the car to continue our conversation as we drove to the club.

It was a short drive from the coast back around the bay into Aberdeen proper. It was dark out now but the city was brightly lit as we headed into the downtown strip. There were more clubs, bars and restaurants than I remembered from my previous trip. It looked like there were a lot of people out for a Monday night, but then it wasn't super late yet either. The after dinner crowd was hitting the streets as we pulled into the parking lot of medium sized club. There was a line out front already, and I didn't really want to have to stand in line, but we'd been busy earlier.

The parking lot looked packed, but Edward just pulled up to the front of the lot and put the car in park. He got out and came around to get my door, and I wondered what was going on. He helped me out of the car and then I noticed the valet waiting behind him. He handed Edward a ticket, and something passed from Edwards hand into his.

"Take care of it." Edward said as we turned away.

The valet looked at the tip Edward had slipped him and his eyes got big. "Yes, sir, not a scratch!"

Edward nodded, and then wrapped his arm around my waist as we headed toward the sidewalk and the line into the club. I was expecting him to stop at the end of line, and I was a little startled when we walked right past the end of the line and continued up to the door.

The bouncers at the door eyed us a little dubiously as Edward led me right up to the velvet rope that was blocking people from the door. They were both about six foot five, and massively muscled with a sort of handsome rugged look, but kind of young. Like they played college football or wrestling, and did this to help pay the bills. One was standing by the door with a clipboard and the other was watching the line as he stared at us, waiting to let people through to the roped off door and into the club.

"Sorry, buddy, everybody waits in line," The bouncer at the rope said, but he wasn't even looking at Edward. I could feel his eyes undressing me, checking me out as he looked me up and down. "Course I might make an exception for the lady here, if she's the friendly sort. Whada'ya say sweet thing? Want to take a stroll back stage?"

I could feel the low rumble of a growl in Edward's chest, and I felt the energy course through his aura. A quick glance showed the flash of red through the dark green, and I could feel the heat coming off of his hands as he reacted to the bouncer's comment.

"Hey, calm down, ok?" Then I turned to the bouncer. "Sorry, I'm busy tonight. Well, every night, so no thanks."

That seemed to mollify Edward a bit and I felt the flare in his energy subside. The guy was lucky the saying 'if looks could kill' wasn't true, or he'd be a pile of goo on the sidewalk by now.

"Edward Cullen and guest." Edward said, speaking to the bouncer at the door. "Check your list." Then he glanced at the other bouncer. "I don't wait in line."

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Cullen, Sir. Step right this way, please." The bouncer at the door said after he looked at his list. "Joe, c'mon, man. Let'em through."

Edward nodded and the bouncer at the rope grudgingly opened it and let us past. We stepped up to the door and the bouncer with the clipboard opened the door for us.

"Jeez, Joey, you cost us a phat tip, dude, hitting on his girlfriend like that." I heard behind us as the door started to close. "I told you man. This club has a VIP list. You gotta check, man. These guys tip like crazy if you treat'em right…"

"Whatever. She was cute. What's that dude got that I ain't got?"

"Umm… A wallet stuffed full of greenbacks, a new car, and a smokin' hot girlfriend?"

"You know that's not why I'm here, right?" I said to Edward as we walked to the hostess's podium.

"I know. I wouldn't be attracted to you the way I am if it was. That's not my type. I've gone out with enough girls like that to know."

"Have you now? Why did you go out with them then?"

"Well, I wouldn't know they weren't my type if I hadn't gone out with them. Let's just say they got what they wanted, and I got what I wanted, but there really wasn't much point in repeating the experience."

"Good evening, folks. I'm gonna need to see some ID's, and then I'll collect your cover charge for tonight. You can check your coats in the cloak room through there when we're finished."

"Of course. Please check you list. I believe my sister already made arrangements for tonight. Edward Cullen and guest?" Edward said as he reached for his wallet.

I handed my ID to Edward and he handed our ID's to the hostess. She checked them and then checked them against the list before handing them back to him.

"Ok, your cover charge is waived as a benefit of membership, Mr. Cullen. Let me take your coats, and then I can escort you back to the exclusive club room. I'm afraid your friends name isn't on the approved list yet…"

Edward helped me out of my coat and took off his. He handed them off to the hostess and she checked them for us in the cloak room.

"Don't worry, it'll be ok. Just take us back, and I'll take care of it."

"Yes, sir. Of course if she'd like to wait in the lounge, I can have Mr. Ritherdon come interview her."

"Oh no, Nick's not getting his hands on this one. She's mine. Just take us back and it'll be ok."

"Yes, sir." The girl seemed a little apprehensive, but turned and started to lead us into the club.

"What's going on, Edward? I thought they knew you here? Don't you come here a lot?"

"Yes, but I don't usually come in the front door. There's an exclusive entrance for members only, but I wanted you to have the full experience. I didn't think you'd want to port in. Alice hates it."

"Oh."

"Otherwise, this club has the same rules as the rest that cater to us. I know Alice took you to Julian's before. You may have to demonstrate that you're allowed to be here."

"Hmm… Ok. This might be fun…"

"Just keep it simple. Don't cause a scene…"

"I'll be good…"

"I'm sure you will be. I'm looking forward to it."

"In your dreams! Keep waiting…"

"I don't dream, but I'm sure they would all be of you if I did."

I knew I was blushing, but I liked being with Edward like this. It felt nice walking beside Edward with his arm around me without our coats separating us even more.

The club was mainly a large lounge and bar with a low stage along one side and a bar along the other. There was a dance floor in front of the stage and cocktail tables and chairs filling the rest of the room. A second floor balcony ringed the room and there were more tables along the railing so people could sit around the edge and look down into the lower level to watch the stage and dance floor.

There was a DJ playing dance music now while the roadies were getting the band setup on the stage. The dance floor and tables were packed, and the place was crowded as the hostess cut an efficient path through the crowd to the stairs up to the second level. There was another bar up there, but she led us past it to a roped off door that said, 'Members Only'. She held the rope aside and opened the door, but didn't go in.

"Here you are, Mr. Cullen. If there's anything else I can do for you tonight, don't hesitate to ask."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, Thank you." Edward reached out, and I thought he was going to shake her hand, but they just brushed briefly and something passed between them. The girl smiled brightly, and I assumed Edward had slipped her a tip.

The door was closing behind us as I looked around the room. We were standing in a small ornately decorated ante room that looked like a parlor from an earlier century. There was an expensive looking hand carved wooden desk in the corner next to a set of double glass doors decorated with gold leaf and hand carved bright work and accents. The computer sitting on the desk seemed out of place.

The guy at the door was almost too obviously a guard; there wasn't a better way to describe him. Bouncer didn't seem to go far enough. He was wearing a non-descript expensive looking black suit, and I knew he wasn't human despite the dark glasses he wore although he was inside and it was night time. The prettier than a movie star good looks and too pale olive skin was a dead give away that he wasn't human. The automatic weapon slung over his shoulder might have given him away the fact that he was guarding the door.

"You know the rules, Cullen. You can't take her in there until Nick interviews her, and then you'll need to make sure she stays under your control…"

"Nope, not this one, Carmine, Bella is a special case. She's allowed."

"She's human. How is she special apart from you bringing her here and her knowing too much? No offense, doll, but did he tell you we can't let you leave now? Well, at least you won't remember being here if we decide to let you go."

"Oh, I think I'll remember being here." I stepped away from Edward and levitated about a foot off the floor and hovered there while I held my hand out to him. I let a tongue of flame dance across my palm while we talked. "I think I'm an exception to your rules, right?" I asked. He nodded a little grudgingly, and then I settled back to the floor and closed my hand to smother the flame.

"Ok, you can go in. Jeez, Cullen, How many witches do you know? I didn't think there were that many still around, let alone hangin' out around here."

"I guess we're just good at flying under the radar." I said.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't be doing any flying at all if you enjoy breathing. You must be good if you're still alive. There's more guys hunting you than there are any of us." Then he looked back at Edward. "Pity too, she's cute. Nick's still gonna want to meet her, if you want her name on the list. You two have fun tonight."

Edward nodded stiffly and held the door open for me to walk into the club. I knew Sara said we had enemies, but she hadn't let on that it was as bad as this Carmine seemed to imply. Of course, Sara had also said she'd tell me more when she thought I was ready to hear it. I was definitely going to have to ask her about this. Maybe I needed to be more careful about what I did and what I let people see.

"What, I don't get a tip too? I'm just doing my job…" and then the door closed cutting Carmine's complaints off.

"Mad at Carmine, Edward? He is just doing his job, after all."

"His job doesn't include ogling my date, and you don't want to know what he was thinking."

"Let me guess. He thinks I let you bite me and he wants a taste?"

"In more ways than one…"

"Ok, you're right. I don't want to know." I said as I gave a little involuntary shudder. "Are Alice and Jasper here yet?" I asked to change the subject.

"They're here. Does that upset you? I'm sure you have many flavors to be savored."

That didn't seem to bother me or creep me out the way hearing about Carmine thinking about me had. It actually gave me a little thrill and I felt the coil in the pit of my stomach wind a little tighter at the thought of sharing more with Edward.

"I guess it all depends on who's doing the tasting. Maybe we can try some of that sometime and see how that goes. I'm still so not into this whole blood thing though."

Why the hell was I even telling him that? It was like my lips were working without permission from my brain. This was our first date, if you didn't count the bowling alley, and we weren't even officially a couple or anything yet.

I'd only had a couple of three beers at dinner, but I felt loose and relaxed like I'd been partying half the night. I could feel myself moving to the music, and I wanted to dance. I never danced. I was a klutz, and dancing was dangerous to my health. Unless I had a really good buzz going, then I was game for anything.

At least now I didn't have to worry about tripping over my own feet and falling on my ass anymore. The things I was learning from Sara had solved that problem. I thought about what Sara had said about how this energy loop to avoid sleep would affect me. I was going to have to be more careful, or I'd end up agreeing to a lot more than I was ready for this soon in whatever this relationship was turning into.

"Well, at least you're somewhat open minded. We'll have to see what comes up. Alice and Jasper are out on the dance floor, but they have a table over here." Edward spoke into my ear so I could hear him over the music.

Then, again, maybe careful was overrated. It just felt so natural to be together with Edward. He made me feel safe and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling inside like I could trust him with anything. Part of me said it was too soon, but another part of me was screaming why wait?

Was I an idiot to trust him? I knew his track record, but he said what we had was different. How did I really know he wasn't just lying to me to get what he wanted? Then again, why lie to me, when he could have any girl he wanted. Was it because I was a challenge for him? He couldn't read my mind and he couldn't compel my actions, so I could tell him no. But did I truly want to tell him no? I sure wasn't acting like I was ready to say no.

This club room was much like the lounge downstairs, but more ornate and expensive looking. It was dimly lit and a variety of smoke hung in the air. I could pick out several different scents, and recognized both tobacco and marijuana and possibly some hash. There was a heavier more pungent scent that laced through the rest that I'd only been exposed to a couple of times but had never tried. Possibly opium?

The DEA would have a field day with this place, but they were probably too well paid to harass us here. Hell, what was I thinking? This was a vampire run club, and didn't even officially exist. Very little of went on here was legal in the human world, and some illegal drugs were the least of my worries.

The place gave off the atmosphere of a gentleman's club from the turn of the century with the brass bright work, hand carved wood accents and expensive looking velveteen wallpapers. The pounding dance beat the DJ was pumping out seemed a little at odds with the décor. The dance floor looked like hardwood parquet where it was visible through the crowd.

And the place was crowded. Carmine had commented on Edward knowing so many people like me. I had to admit that I was a little shocked at how many kindred were packed together in this club. It looked like a popular trendy dance club, but I could see the differences at once. Most of the people on the dance floor didn't move like humans. They didn't have to pretend or hold back here, and could cut loose and be themselves.

I wasn't the only human in the room either. Most of the servers and bartenders appeared to be human. I could see other humans out on the dance floor and sitting at some of the tables. They didn't look like they were drugged or compelled or 'under control'. I'd seen how people that were compelled acted, and they didn't dance or laugh or appear to have a good time like these people did. They weren't all girls either. There was a fairly even mix of sexes.

I wondered what was going on because I'd had to prove I was an exception to the rules to get in. They couldn't all be like me or Carmine wouldn't have reacted to me the way he did. I was curious, and wanted to ask Edward what was going on, but it didn't seem like a good time to ask.

Edward had his arm around my waist as he led me through the club to Alice's table. I didn't ask how he knew where it was. I assumed Alice had shown him when we arrived. We got to the table, and I saw Alice's purse and Jasper's sport coat hanging on the back of one of the chairs. Edward didn't look like he was ready to sit down, and leaned in close to speak into my ear.

"Can I get you something to drink, or would you like to dance?"

I already knew the answer to that question. "Let's dance. I can get a drink later."

"Ok, you can leave your purse here. It's safe."

I didn't argue and left it on the seat with Alice's while Edward took off his jacket and hung it on one of the chairs. He took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. I knew I was throwing caution to the wind as I let him take the lead. The cautious approach would have been to let him buy me a drink while I settled in and got the lay of the land, so to speak. I didn't really care about what any of these people thought about me, although I could feel eyes on us as we moved into the crowd.

It was easy to ignore the people around us. I was too focused on Edward to notice the rest of the crowd on the dance floor. It just felt good to let go and let the music move me as I moved to the rhythm of pulsing beat and the flashing lights. It didn't matter if I was clumsy anymore now that I knew I couldn't fall or trip unless I let myself as we moved together to the pounding beat.

Edward had found us a place by Alice and Jasper where they were dancing together, and I nodded to Alice to acknowledge her presence. I turned toward Alice, and for a minute I was dancing with her when I felt that warm fuzzy sensation flash through me and an electric buzz that ran down my spine and made that delicious feeling in my core wind tighter. I felt hands on my hips and somebody grinding against my backside. I had a pretty good idea who that was. I glanced back over my shoulder and looked up into Edward's eyes, and then reached back to stroke his cheek.

I felt pressure from his hands turning me toward him. He kept his hands on me as I turned easily to face him and let my arms drape loosely on his shoulders and neck. I moved away to give him some space, but we seemed to be drawn together and his hands found me again. We danced like that for the rest of songs in that set, moving apart and then back together as we teased and flirted and had fun. I lost track of Alice and Jasper; I was too busy staring into Edward's eyes to worry about where Alice had gone.

The space between us steadily shrank until I was pressed close up against him as a slower song played. I could feel the hard bulge in his pants grinding into my core and his hands had slipped down onto my ass holding me against him as we moved rhythmically together to the music.

Then suddenly Alice was back, pulling us apart as the song ended and a faster number started playing. "Ok, my turn. Go help Jasper get the drinks, Edward. We'll meet you at the table."

"You're being annoying, Alice. Go play with Jasper," Edward growled, but he took a step back.

"I know. That's why you love me. Now shoo, we'll see you in a minute."

"It's alright, Edward," I said, and he nodded.

"I'll see you at the table then," and he turned and melted into the crowd.

"Ok, what the hell is going on, Alice?" I asked when he was gone.

"What happened to taking it slow and just being friends? You two looked pretty intense over here. I thought it was time for a reality check. How are you doing?" She asked as she leaned in close to talk into my ear.

"I was doing just fine until you butted in and broke things up. I thought you wanted us to get together." I said as I held Alice's hands and danced with her now.

"I do, but I want you two together, together. Not just some one night stand. It looked like you were ready to do him right out here on the dance floor. Should I have reserved you two a room for tonight? I don't want you to do anything you'll regret in the morning. Trust me, it'll take forever to get past if you do the walk of shame bit right now."

"Fine…" I said as I thought about that. "Thanks Alice."

"C'mon, let's go have a drink. Jasper is getting some shots."

"Shots…? I thought the whole point of this was me not doing anything stupid. I'm loose enough already tonight without adding alcohol to the mix."

"Just trust me. You'll have fun."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"You know what I mean. You'll be ok now."

"Ok, if you say so."

The song ended and Alice led me off the dance floor before the next one started. We headed back to the table, and Edward and Jasper were waiting for us. They stood up when they saw us coming, and held our chairs for us so we could sit down.

"Ok, so what are we drinking?" I asked as I eyed the tray sitting on the table with the ring of shot glasses. There were more than four. The liquor was a dark amber color, and there was a salt shaker and a small dish of lime wedges, so I had a pretty good idea already. I reached for my purse and got out a cigarette. Edward was reaching for a lighter, but he stopped when I just lit it with my fingertip.

"Alice's favorite…" Edward started as he sat back in his seat. He had his arm draped across the back of my chair as he sat close beside me.

"No, my favorite is Patron. It's a pure blue agave Tequila, and you don't drink it with salt and lime. It's smooth enough that there's no bite and you savor the agave flavor. What's this Jose Cuervo?"

"I thought Bella might need the salt and lime, so I didn't specify Patron," Jasper said. "I just bought a couple of rounds of shooters. You don't mind, do you, darlin'?"

"No, you were right. So, Bella, you game?" Alice asked.

"Fine… just don't let me do anything stupid tonight, ok?" I said as I set my cigarette down on the edge of the ashtray on the table.

Alice nodded and I picked up the salt shaker. I licked the back of my hand next to my thumb to wet it, and poured some salt on it. Edward handed me a shot glass, and I looked deeply into his eyes. I was still looking at Edward as I licked the salt, and then threw back the shooter. It burned all the way down, and then I bit down on the wedge of lime Alice handed me.

Alice and Jasper went next and tossed their liquor back together. They both used the salt, but only Alice bit the lime wedge.

"What's that like?" Edward asked Alice as she took the lime out from between her teeth.

"It's not bad. It gives it a nice kind of fruity flavor, but then I suppose you'd have to eat fruit to understand that. Try it and see what you think."

That didn't sound quite right to me. The lime helped cut the bitter aftertaste. At least that was the theory. Of course, they all probably tasted things differently than I did.

"Wait, you've never had Tequila with salt and lime before?" I asked Edward a little incredulously.

"I never saw the point in mixing unfermented fruit juice with perfectly good liquor. I prefer straight liquor except for certain rare occasions. Besides, we drink for different reasons than you do."

"Ok, you're going to have to explain that one. I don't understand."

"Alcohol affects us differently. If we drink enough, I suppose we could get drunk, but it would be enough to kill a human. I've seen it happen a couple of times. A couple of shots like this does produce a nice mild buzz, but not the way humans get drunk from it. Beyond that, we enjoy the taste, the way you might enjoy a particular brand of pop."

"So let me get this straight… While this is me cutting loose and getting silly, this is like having a Coke for you guys? That is so unfair!"

"The alcohol helps us to suppress some of our more unsavory characteristics, as well. It dilutes our bloodlust and makes it manageable, and helps us to control our other urges."

"Huh, so not only do you not get drunk, but it's good for you, too? Where's the fun in that?"

"We have our ways of cutting loose too. I'm sure you noticed the atmosphere in the club. I saw you testing the scents of the various smoke hanging in the air."

"Yeah, the DEA would have a field day with this place. Isn't all of that a little hard core? I swear I smelled opium when we were coming in…"

"You did. Most of those substances affect us much the way they do for humans, but they burn out of our systems much much faster, so the effect is considerably more short lived and the effect much weaker due to our accelerated metabolisms. It's an affect of our healing factors and natural regeneration ability."

"Huh, so passing the pipe around is your guy's idea of a kegger? I never pictured you as a smoker…"

"I do not indulge to excess, but I have tried it a time or two. A lot happens in a long lifetime…"

"Sometimes you just need to let off a little steam and unwind, Edward…" Jasper said.

"What he means is you need to pull the stick out of your ass, and enjoy life every once in a while." Alice said. "Now do you want the lime, or don't you?"

"New experiences, huh?" Edward commented as he looked at me. "I suppose if you're recommending it, it can't be all bad… Alright, Alice."

He picked up the shot glass and Alice held out the lime to him.

"Don't forget the salt…" I said.

He nodded and followed my example with the salt on his hand, and then threw back the shooter. Alice handed him the lime and he bit down on it. He didn't look disgusted, and I had a feeling it was like dinner. Not necessarily bad, just different and probably new.

It didn't surprise me when Edward reached inside his vest and retrieved a gold cigarette case. He pressed the catch on the side with his thumb and took out a cigarette when the case popped open. He placed it between his lips before he closed the case and put it away. His hand came back with a gold lighter, but I was faster, and offered him a light with my fingertips before he could light it himself.

He took a drag off the cigarette, and then held it between his fingertips as he blew out the smoke.

"You know, you really need to be more careful with that, Bella. You don't want to attract attention to yourself…"

"What… I just offered you a light…" I held out my closed hand to him, and opened it with a flourish. There was a miniature lighter lying in the middle of my palm. I closed my hand before he could reach out to touch it, and made a show of dropping it into my purse.

"Ok, that's a good trick and would fool a lot of people, but it wouldn't fool the hunters. Be more careful. Do you even have a real lighter?"

"No… I didn't think I needed one. I have you if it's too public. Besides, I'm underage. I'm not even supposed to be smoking."

"Well, as you may have noticed, we don't necessarily follow all the rules the humans have made for themselves. As long as you personally can handle it, we'll treat you as an equal."

"Actually, from a psychological point of view, most people are the person they're going to be by seventeen," Jasper said. "The rest is all just life experience that adds up to whatever level of maturity a person ends up achieving. You'd be surprised how many so-called adults are nothing but spoiled whiny brats. You actually come off as rather mature, considering your physical age."

"My mother always said I was born middle-aged, and get older every year," I commented and then it my turn for my next shot.

We continued like that, taking turns as we finished off the tray from the bar. I was a little more than buzzed now, and I was glad I wasn't driving tonight. I wasn't slurring my speech, and I thought I was holding up pretty well tonight, all things considered. Maybe I was a little braver, or a little more reckless, with the alcohol in my system, but I was still curious about something.

"You know, guys, I'm not the only human here tonight…"

"You have such keen skills of observation, Bella," Alice commented. "Were you just figuring this out, or is there a question involved here somewhere?"

"It's just that they made such a big deal about me coming in here tonight… They aren't all like me too, are they?"

"If you mean awakened and having abilities like your own, then no." Edward said. "You are unique in that regard among the human patrons here tonight. Even so, only a small percentage of the remaining patrons share our abilities."

"Then how did they get in?"

"They're on the list." Alice said and shrugged.

"Ok, so how do they get on this list then?"

"Somebody introduced them and recommended them for the list." She continued as though it was an inconsequential detail.

"So that's it? They just asked and they let them in?" There had to be more to it than that.

"No, the process is a little more involved…" Jasper started, but he seemed to be a little uncomfortable discussing the subject.

"They know." Edward said.

"Wait, wait, wait… Isn't that against the rules? I thought humans weren't allowed to know unless they were going to become… one of you… Oh."

"That is the rule…" Jasper said as he glanced sideways at Edward.

"All of them…?" I said a little shocked.

"No, not all of them," Edward said in a voice tinged with disgust. "But enough…"

"Then what about the rest? How does that work? There are more exceptions?"

Alice shrugged. "Some of them are registered, like the people that work here and some of the VIP guests. The rest are under control."

"Ok, the bouncer at the door mentioned that too. I've seen people that were being compelled. They were way more zombie like. They didn't dance and party and carry on like they were enjoying themselves…"

"Those were people under direct control…" Alice started.

"What Alice means," Jasper went on, "is that some of the people here tonight have been given commands while under compulsion that prevent them from revealing our secrets. It's kind of like a form of deep seated post hypnotic suggestion, only much more effective. The commands they've been given are almost indistinguishable from their own thoughts."

"So somebody fucked with their heads, and now they don't want to tell anyone about your secrets… That is just wrong in so many ways… I thought you said you didn't do things like that?"

"We've already had this conversation, Bella," Alice said. "There are things we don't compel, but there are other things that are necessary for our survival."

"But shouldn't people have freewill to make their own decisions?"

"What about Jessica? You didn't seem to mind me telling her to be nice and not spread rumors about you. And what about Mike? I seem to remember you asking me to adjust what he remembered the two of you doing. Where do you draw the line, Bella? Is it only alright when it helps you? I suppose we could just kill everyone that finds out about us..."

"No…"

"Alright then, so maybe using our gifts to reduce the bloodshed isn't such a bad thing after all. It's not like they're out there dancing naked, taking on all comers. We could do that too you know, but we don't…"

"That's enough, Alice." Edward said. "You've made your point."

"Fine. It just seems like we keep coming back to this all the time. Can't you just accept that we only do what we need to for our survival?"

"I know, I know… I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but it just seems like an awful lot of responsibility left up to a lot of individuals to decide what's right and wrong. At least humans have governments and codified laws… Who makes the rules for you guys?"

"I can see Bella's point of view," Jasper said. "There are major ethical concerns to consider, and we do have great potential for corruption. We're basically relying on our cultural moral attitudes to guide us to pursue ethical norms of behavior."

"We have rules." Edward said with some distaste, but he didn't elaborate.

"True," Jasper continued, "but what we do to exist would probably be viewed as extremely dangerous by the public at large."

"Hello, we're vampires." Alice said. "We're supposed to dangerous. At least we don't kill people."

Edward raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side as he stared at her as though to say 'do you really expect her to buy that?'

"Well not very often… Sure, accidents happen, but it's not like we go on killing sprees or something. When it's all said and done, the average human is more likely to be struck by lightning than die from a vampire loosing control."

"You know Esme would be washing your mouth out with soap if she heard the way you talk…"

"I've heard her call us that. You use that word too, so don't give me your holier than thou attitude. Can I help it if that's the word you used around the house when I was growing up? You said I was an adult…"

"Only if you act like one."

"Fine, lead by example then. It's almost time for your band to play. Are we going to go down and watch them?"

"Yes, I've been looking forward to this. Bella, will you join me?"

"Sure, I liked the CD. Let's go watch them play."

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist when we got up from the table and pulled me close to lead me downstairs. Alice and Jasper followed us. It looked like a lot of the other patrons were going downstairs for the show too.

"What did Alice mean when she said some of them were registered? How is that different from being under control?" I asked as we walked to the door.

"It's kind of like being bonded, the way certain professionals and service workers put up a bond to insure their performance for the services that they provide. They still retain their freewill, and have not been compelled to guard our secrets, but they have given their oath not to reveal our true nature to the public at large. They're allowed to talk to other people that are aware of us"

"So basically they promised not to tell anyone? And you just trust them?"

"It's not that simple. There are severe consequences for abusing our trust."

"Ok, I'll bite. How do you guarantee that they won't tell?"

"You don't want to know."

"I'm a big girl, Edward. I think I can handle it."

"Fine, I warned you. First there are those among us that can tell if you're lying or speaking the truth. They have to make their oath in front of a truth sayer. If they lie, their life is forfeit. If they knowingly break their oath at some future date, then their life and those of all of their immediate family are forfeit as well."

"That's horrible…!"

"I told you, you didn't want to know. Not very many break their word. The consequences are too terrible to consider for most."

"God… I think I'd rather be under control than carry that kind of responsibility for my family."

"I agree. Let's just enjoy the band for now. We shouldn't discuss this downstairs or in public places."

"Ok."

Edward found us a spot down in front of the middle of the stage and Alice and Jasper joined us. The band was really good, but it was much too loud to carry on any kind of conversation while the music played. It was fun dancing to the live music blasting out of the speakers. I recognized a lot of songs from the CD, and they did some covers of popular songs on the radio too.

Most of the time I just let Edward hold me or we danced to the music. I danced with Alice for a couple of songs and she really seemed to get into it. Jasper just smiled while Alice was preoccupied and went to the bar for another round of drinks. He handed me a beer and Alice had some fruity looking concoction while the boys drank their liquor straight.

They put on a really good show and poured a lot of energy into their music. The set seemed to go on for a long time, and then they announced they were taking a break before the late show.

"Do you want to stay for the next set, Bella?" Edward spoke into my ear. "I think Alice is getting a little antsy staying in one club for this long."

"No, I'm cool if you guys want to go club hopping. Where to next?"

"There are a couple of human dance clubs that have really good DJ's and bars," Alice said as she walked up and handed me my purse. "Then we can hit Julian's before we call it a night."

"How late are we staying out? My dad will know something's up if I come rolling in at dawn smelling like a brewery."

"That all depends on how you want to get home," Alice said. "If we're going to drive, then we should start back pretty soon. If you decide to take a shortcut with lover boy here, then we have another couple of hours to party."

"A shortcut? You mean…"

"I can port us back to Forks whenever you're ready to leave." Edward said.

"I don't know… That last time was pretty rough…"

"Alice has recounted the details of that experience to me. Trust me, I'll be more gentle. There are certain precautions we can take to make the trip smoother given a bit of time for adequate preparation."

"Sara mentioned taking off our clothes…"

"That's one option, if you're game," Edward said with a smirk. "It's not the only one." He quickly amended as he took in my glare.

"Fine. Let's party. I'll trust Edward get me home on time. What about my clothes?"

"Charlie should be asleep when you get home, but you can change before you go if you want too."

"Ok. When do I need to call home?"

"Now, but anytime in the next five or ten minutes should do. Forks won. The score was fifty-eight to fifty-six. It was exciting. The game went into overtime. Mike Newton scored the winning basket."

"Ok, but I can't call my dad in here. He'd hear the background noise and figure out what's going on. He isn't stupid, Alice."

"Edward will show you where you can have some privacy to make your call… Jasper and I are going now. We'll see you two when you catch up, ok?"

"Alice…?" Edward said, as he threw a questioning look in her direction and then glared at her.

"Be good… and if you can't be good, be careful… See you later… or not." She said with a smirk and then she was gone.

"What was that all about?"

"It's nothing. Come on. I'll show you where you can make your call."

"Ok." I took Edwards hand, and he led me back up the stairs and into the member's only club. Carmine was still guarding the door, but he just nodded to us as we stepped into the anteroom.

"We need a moment of privacy." Edward said to Carmine as the door closed behind us.

He glanced at the computer monitor for a second. "Number five is free. How long do you need?" He asked as he looked me up and down again.

"Just a few minutes…"

"Ahh c'mon, Cullen, the lady deserves more attention than that. Even I'm not that selfish…"

"We're making a phone call…" Edward said with the exasperation plain in his voice.

"Sure, whatever you say. I never figured you for the phone sex sort, but whatever floats your boat. I'll put you down for an hour, and if you aren't back by then, we'll just call it a night, ok?" Carmine handed him a key, and winked at me. "You look me up if he doesn't treat you like a lady. I'll show you what a good time is like."

"Fine." Edward said in a huff. He led me through the doors into the club and past the bar to another set of doors.

There was another stairway up to the third floor and a long corridor with the same expensively ornate decoration as the club room. There were numbered doors on both sides of the hallway. Edward led me down the pushily carpeted passage and stopped in front of the door with the brass number five. He used the key and opened the door for me.

"Where are we, Edward? What are these rooms?"

"They're privacy suites where the clientele can host more private parties or make arrangements for more intimate rendezvous. Using them is a perk of membership at this club."

"Ok."

I looked into the room and it was ornately decorated in the same style as the club but with several overstuffed sofas and armchairs. I blushed when my gaze fell on the king sized bed hung with a silky canopy. It looked like there was a well stocked private bar and other amenities that weren't immediately apparent from the doorway.

I stepped into the room, but Edward made no move to follow me in. He let go of my hand and started to close the door behind me.

"What's the matter? I asked as I turned to look at him. "Aren't you coming in with me? Oh… Do I need to invite you in?"

"No, it isn't that… I think it would be better if I waited for you in the hallway…"

"Don't be silly Edward." I said. I reached for his hand and pulled him into the room with me.

"Alright… Are you sure this is ok?" He asked as he closed the door behind us and the lock clicked shut. "You seemed apprehensive about being alone with me before."

He seemed slightly anxious and uneasy as he stood close beside me. I walked into the middle of the room as I looked around. I'd never been in one, but I imagined this was what a luxury suite at an expensive five star hotel would look like.

"I'm sure. Let me make that call…" I took out my phone and set my purse down on the coffee table as I looked around the room in awe, staring at all of the nice things.

"I'm not sure I'm responsible enough to be alone with you in a setting like this…"

"It's ok Edward. I think we need to start trusting each other a little more… This should just take a minute."

I flipped my phone open, and speed dialed Charlie's number. He must have been expecting the call. He picked up on the first ring.

"_Chief Swan._"

"Hey dad, it's me…"

The room lights dimmed, but there was still enough light to see. I could feel Edward standing close behind me, and then I felt his hands on my hips as he pulled me against him. His body pressed up against me as his hands snaked around my waist pulling me closer…

"_Thank god! I was starting to get worried, Bells. I was expecting your call earlier…_"

"Yeah, the game ran long… They went into overtime… Mike shot the winning basket…"

I could feel the hard bulge in the front of his pants grinding into me, and then his cool dry hand slipped under the hem of my shirt as his strong nimble fingers traced circles around my bellybutton…

"_Huh, well I guess he's good for something. I'm glad you aren't hanging out with him anymore…_"

"Yeah… The game was exciting…"

His hand swept my hair back over my shoulder and I could feel his cool, sweet, intoxicating breath against my neck. His lips pressed against the nape of my neck, and then he was planting tiny kisses up the column of my neck as I cocked my head to the side to allow him better access.

"_What's the matter, Bells? You sound out of breath?_"

"Alice parked a long ways away from the gym…"

His hand on my stomach slipped out of my shirt and I could feel his long nimble fingers working as the buttons came open. Then he was tracing wider circles on the exposed skin of my midriff. His hand inched higher with every stroke and then his fingers traced across the bottom edge of my bra…

"_Ok. So you're heading home now?_"

"Yeah… Soon… Don't wait up for me... It's a long drive and we're going to take our time…"

His cool intoxicating breath tickled as he gently blew in my ear. I felt Edward's teeth on my earlobe as he gently nipped at it and then he was kissing down the side of my neck again.

"_Fine, Bells. I'll see you when you get home._"

"G'night dad…" I managed to say without panting too hard. I made sure I pressed the end button and then I flipped the phone shut and dropped it on the coffee table.

"You are so bad!" I said as I turned in Edward's arms and snaked my arms around his neck. I didn't give him time to answer as I pulled his face down to mine and our lips met in a kiss.

His lips were cool and slightly moist when I kissed him. His mouth was a little open as he gently pressed his lips to mine. I wasn't being gentle and our lips ground together as I pressed mine hungrily over his. He hung back for a second, and then I felt him returning the pressure. His lips moved in a slow, circular motion and I parted mine as my mouth opened to him and he kissed me back.

My fingers tangled in his hair pulling him tighter against me. I scraped my nails lightly across his scalp as I held on tight and pulled him into me. My body molded to his as he held me against him and his hands roamed over me touching and exploring.

My lips parted slightly more over his and the tip of my tongue touched his lower lip, begging for entry. This time his lips parted to let me in, and I didn't hesitate as I pushed my tongue into his mouth. I felt the tip of Edward's tongue with the tip of my tongue. The feeling was incredible and electric as our tongues played. We found a rhythm as my tongue moved with his, circling and teasing. It was fun and I wanted more. I wanted to explore and feel his mouth with mine. I needed to touch him and feel all of him.

I was feeling the buzz of the alcohol and the feedback loop relaxing my inhibitions but I knew there was more to it than just that. I felt exhilarated or even 'high' when I was with Edward, like that feeling you got after you ate really good chocolate or had a great workout. The physical attraction was intense and I needed to touch him. I felt energized as Edward's body pressed against me and his cool moist lips moved on mine. Our tongues played with his circling mine and the feeling was incredible and electric and new was we explored each other.

The movement was intense and energetic as our tongues met and swirled against each other, teasing and exploring as our lips ground together hungrily. I was excited and I wanted more. Then Edward was pulling back, breaking the kiss, putting space between us. It felt wrong not to be touching him.

"Wait… This is wrong… We should go while I still retain some degree of control over my actions…"

"I told you not to apologize, Edward. I liked it. I kissed you. I want this. I said we could try some more when we had more privacy…"

"You have limits… I'm not sure I'm strong enough to respect them… We should go meet Alice and Jasper now."

"Carmine said we had an hour… Why don't you let me worry about my limits…? Maybe I can be strong enough for both of us…"

His only response was the low rumble of a growl deep in his chest, and then he was sweeping me up into his arms. I was expecting to move to the couch so I could kiss him some more. We moved past it, and then Edward was depositing me on the edge of the king sized bed. This was good too as long as we were careful…

The covers were already turned down and I found myself sprawling on satin sheets. I felt him reach for my ankle. He opened the strap and dropped one shoe on the floor and then the other as I held my foot up for him. I scooted over to make room for him as he kicked off his shoes and removed his vest, and then he was climbing onto the bed beside me.

He gathered me into his arms, and then his lips were moving on mine again. His kisses were harder and more passionate as his cool lips moved on mine and our tongues tangled and slipped against each other. It was slick and sweet and velvety. I lost myself in the moment giving complete attention to the kiss. Our kisses deepened and became more ardent as his hands explored my body.

His hand found the rest of the buttons holding the top of my blouse closed and he worked them open easily without breaking our kiss. His hand explored the scrap of fabric that was supposed to be a bra, and then his fingers moved onto the clasp between my breasts. It fell open at his touch and then his cool hand moved onto the bare skin that he'd exposed. I felt my nipple harden into a pebble under his touch as the darker areola crinkled up around it.

His hand on my breast felt incredible as he gently squeezed and massaged and then tweaked my nipple. I needed him to be touching me as much as I needed to be touching him. He spent some time giving the same treatment to both breasts as he rolled my nipples between his thumb and fore finger. Then his hand was moving lower onto my stomach.

His fingers traced across the waist band of my skirt searching, and then ghosted across my hip as his fingers explored but they failed in their quest. Then his hand was traveling lower stroking down the side of my leg to my knee.

His fingers stroked the tender flesh on the inside of my knee as his hand caressed up my stocking leg, and then moved higher to the hem of my skirt. It was much too tight for him to simply jam his hand under it, but then his fingers moved onto the buttons up the front.

"Wait," I said as I broke the kiss, and Edward froze as his hands pulled back.

"Is that too much?" He asked.

"No…" I panted against his cheek.

I knew what he was searching for and he needed a little help. I leaned into him to roll onto one hip, and reached back to pull down the zipper on my skirt. I rolled back and lifted my hips to push the waist band down over my bottom.

"Here, help me with this…" I said as I lifted my legs. Edward gripped the hem of the skirt and pulled it down past my knees. He pulled it off over my feet and dropped it onto the floor.

"That's better…" and then I reached for the buttons on Edward's shirt.

"Please, allow me…" He sat up and made quick work of the buttons down the front and opened the cuffs at his wrists. Then he pulled the shirt off and dropped it on the floor with my skirt.

I took my blouse and bra off now that they were already open and just in the way while Edward was working on his shirt and tossed them over the edge of the bed onto the growing pile of discarded clothing.

"Am I allowed to remove my pants, or is that going too far?" He asked.

"I'm all about fair play. I took mine off. You can too if it makes you more comfortable."

"I was more concerned about your own comfort zone. I'm willing to go as far as you allow, but I have to warn you. If we go too far I may lose control of my actions. There are steps I can take to stay in control, but you may not allow them either. I will endeavor to respect your limits, but I have limits of my own."

"I think you're strong enough to stop when I ask you to. Do whatever you have to do…"

"Don't count on it. I am intoxicated simply holding you and reveling in your presence. It is a remarkable achievement that I haven't ravished you already."

Edward opened his belt and pants, and pushed them down to his knees and kicked them off into the pile. He pulled off his socks leaving him in nothing but his silk boxers and me with the excuse for a panty and my stockings and garter belt.

Edward's bare chest was even more incredible than I had imagined and I ran my hands over the hard planes of his chiseled chest and abs. He gazed at me with a growing hunger in his eyes.

"Stop talking and do a little more ravishing…" I breathed as my hands caressed across his chest and neck.

He reached for me as his body moved onto mine and our lips met again. I felt his weight pressing my shoulders and hips down onto the mattress as his body pressed down against mine.

He broke the kiss, letting me pant to catch my breath and his cool cheek nuzzled against mine. My hands moved down to caress the hard muscles of his shoulders and arms. He kissed the hollow beneath my ear, and I felt his cool breath against the side of my neck.

He trailed kisses along my jaw line and moved back to my lips. I greeted him willingly as he tenderly sucked my bottom lip between his for a second. Then my arms were snaking around his neck and my hands cradled his head as my fingers tangled back into his hair pulling him closer.

Time seemed to stand still as we kissed and touched. Caressing his chest, my neck, his hair, my breasts, as our hands explored and his lips moved on mine. We moved together in rhythm as the passion hummed through our bodies and I lost myself in the sensations coursing through me.

I felt Edward's hand move over me as it trailed down my stomach. His fingertips traced down the middle of my body, and stopped to circle my bellybutton. His weight settled on me, pressing me down onto the bed without crushing me, and I liked the feel of it. His legs were between my knees as he pushed between my hips, and I could feel the hard bulge in his boxers grind against me through the thin layers of fabric that separated us.

His hand moved lower and traced across the thin elastic band of my excuse for panties as his body shifted, giving him room to explore. I felt his fingers working lower as they grazed across the thin triangle of fabric covering my sex.

His fingers moved to the edge of the fabric as though he were moving to pull it aside, but I reached down and placed my hand on his to still his fingers.

This was fun, but I knew we were moving too fast. This was still our first date. If Edward had been human, this was way too far, way too fast. But he wasn't human. He said what we had was special…

Edward broke the kiss, and I panted to catch my breath. His lips kissed along my jaw line to the hollow beneath my ear. I gently stroked the short hair on the back of his neck and I felt his cool sweet breath against my ear.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, panting as he seemed to fight for control.

His lips trailed wet kisses down the column of my neck. His lips pressed against my pulse point and gently sucked and a little whimper of pleasure escaped my lips.

"You have to tell me now, Bella." He panted in a breathless gasp. "If we go any farther, I won't be held accountable for my actions... Would you hold it against me if I told you I was only human?"

I wanted more and I could feel the desire burn in me as the delicious coil wound tighter in the pit of my stomach and pooled in my core. I could feel the wetness soaking my excuse for panties, and I wanted to grind my pussy hard against Edward. He had moved back to give himself room to touch me, and my body begged for his touch.

"How human? You said you wanted taste all my flavors… I'm ok with that… I've never gone all the way, Edward. Alice says this is still sex, but I'm still technically a virgin…"

"I always assumed sex required more penetration and a rather significant exchange of bodily fluids, but it is an important technicality... I'm assuming you wish to maintain the status of your technicality…?" he asked with a trace of anguish in his breathless voice.

"…For now… Not forever…" I knew my voice sounded noncommittal and lacked conviction. I knew it was going to happen sooner than later...

"I believe I may be strong enough to accommodate your wishes." He panted. "I take it you wish to continue?" Edward asked seductively as he stroked the front of my panty harder. The pressure against my clit was glorious.

"Please…" I whimpered. "I'm so close…"

"And if I was to bring you this relief you so desire…, you would be willing to reciprocate…?" He gasped as he fought to stay in control and tried to hold back.

"Of course, I told you I believe in fair play. I give as good as I get."

"That sounds intriguing... So which of you flavors should I sample first…?"

It was a rhetorical question, and I expected him to move down the bed between my legs, but he captured my lips in another kiss. I let him have his way with my mouth as his tongue plunged in and danced with mine. I lost myself in the kiss and the sensations coursing through my body as he continued to stroke me between my legs with his hand.

Edward broke the kiss as I panted to catch my breath. His lips kissed along my jaw line to the hollow beneath my ear, and then he was trailing wet kisses down the column of my neck. His lips pressed against my pulse point again as he sucked on my throat and I moaned in pleasure at the attention to my sensitive flesh. The pressure became more intense and I felt him sucking harder. There was the tiniest of nips as I felt his teeth graze across my flesh.

"Hey! No biting, mister!" I exclaimed as I tried to push him away from my neck. "I told you that's off limits!"

"Relax, Bella." Edward said as he pulled away and nuzzled my cheek. "I didn't even break the skin, but I must admit; you taste divine love."

He sounded more confident and more in control now, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't like what had just happened.

"What did you do?" I asked…, a little irked at his cavalier attitude.

"I didn't need to bite you to bring a taste of blood to the surface. A little sucking was enough for a tiny taste. I told you, you might not like it, but it should bolster my control sufficiently to respect you wishes."

"You gave me a hickey? That's going to leave a mark! What am I supposed to tell my father?"

"That you were making out and you had a good time?"

"With who, smart ass? I'm supposed to be at the game with Alice!"

"You know, that's not too much of a stretch to believe. A little kinky, but I wouldn't put it past her. You wouldn't be her first…"

"God, you too? I am so not into girls!"

"So you like boys then." He asked as his hand stroked firmly between my legs up the front of my panties, dragging the fabric deep between the lips of my pussy and then grinding hard against my clit.

My breath hissed between my teeth as I gasped at the sudden flash of pleasure, and I gripped Edward's shoulders tighter, pulling him against me. I desperately wanted more despite my pique at what Edward had done.

"I do when they aren't being jerks." I panted, feigning irritation with him. He wasn't getting off that easy.

"You asked if I wanted to taste all of your flavors."

"And I told you I wasn't into the whole blood thing."

"You said you wouldn't be satisfying that particular appetite. You haven't. Do you have another flavor you'd like me to try next?"

I didn't have time to comment as his lips captured mine again. His kisses were greedy and demanding as his tongue pushed between my lips to swirl against mine. It was hot and passionate despite the coolness of his lips on mine. My arms snaked around his neck pulling him to me as my fingers tangled back into his hair pulling him closer.

I lost myself to his kisses as we touched and explored each others bodies. Caressing his chest, his strong arms, his hair; my hands exploring while he continued to stroke me between my legs. The constant pressure was driving me mad, and my excuse for a panty was completely soaked through now as he ground the wet fabric into me. The passion humming through my body was pushing me closer to the edge as I reveled in the sensations coursing through me. I didn't know if I'd be able to say no again if he asked me now.

His hand was stroking up and down the front of my panty, and then his fingers followed the base of the triangle lower to where the thong disappeared into the crack of my ass.

I felt a gentle tug as he dug it out of my ass and then a rougher jerk as the fabric parted between his fingertips. His hand moved to my hip and the elastic waistband snapped apart. I felt another tug and he was pulling the fabric away from my body to drop what was left of my panties over the edge of the bed.

"Did you just rip my panties off? I gasped as I broke the kiss.

"Next time tell Alice to put them on over the garter belt if you'd prefer to keep them." He said as he nuzzled my cheek. His cool breath spoke directly into my ear, and then my earlobe was between his teeth as nipped at it.

I gasped and moaned as I felt his long nimble fingers stroke up and down the hot wet bare skin of my sex. They grazed through the sparse curls above my sex, and then they were pushing between the lips of my pussy, sinking into me. I moaned as his finger sank between my folds and caressed inside of my hot sex. His finger stroked back and forth between my folds gliding through my lower lips, wet and slippery with my arousal.

He traced his finger up and down along my center and then his fingertip was circling my opening. He pressed a second finger in, and then his fingers were spreading my pussy lips apart. His middle finger tip found my opening and there was more pressure as he started pushing into me. I gasped as his finger sank in to the first knuckle, and then pushed deeper inside.

"God, Bella, you're so wet…" Edward moaned against my neck. His finger slipped out caressing up from my opening, and stroked across my clit as it poked out of its hood. An electric jolt flashed through me as I reveled in the sensation of pure pleasure and carnal lust.

I was panting hard as his finger stroked lower and pushed in deep again, stroking in and out as he fucked his finger into me. Then he slid a second finger in, and the sensation of fullness was incredible as he fucked me with his hand.

"Oh god… Edward, that's so good…" I panted against his neck.

"You like that…" His thumb stroked circles around my throbbing clit while his fingers pumped in and out.

"Yesss…" I moaned… I wanted so much more… I wanted him inside me, but I couldn't tell him that…

My eyes were closed tight as my head was thrown back and I groaned. The sensations pulsing through my core felt so good… So much better than when I touched myself…

I knew I wouldn't complain if he just shifted a little and replaced his hand with his cock. I reached down between us and slipped my hand under the waist band of his boxers. I felt between his legs, searching for his cock.

It was Edward's turn to gasp as I stroked my hand along the length his erection.

Oh. My. God! It was fucking huge! I tried to grip my hand around the girth, but my thumb and forefinger wouldn't touch as I wrapped my hand around him.

The tip was wet where a large drop of pre-cum had drooled from the slit, and I spread it over the head as I stroked my thumb over the head of his cock.

He was so much bigger than Mike. I blanched at the thought of him trying to fit that thing inside of me. My god, it would split me in half…

I felt him growl again as the vibration rumbled through his chest into mine when I put my hand on his cock.

"My god, Bella… Are you trying to drive me insane?" Edward panted against my ear.

"What? You got to touch me… turn about is fair play…" I gasped.

"I am struggling to acquiesce to your whishes… and respect your limits… I only have so much control…" Edward panted.

"Maybe you shouldn't try so hard…" I moaned as my hand stroked up and down his length and his thumb stroked across my clit.

"What… Don't tempt me like this…" he gasped in anguish.

"Let me help you…" I whispered against his ear as I pushed on his shoulder.

"How… What do you want?"

"Turn over and lie back."

I gasped at the loss of sensation as Edward's hand moved off my pussy and his long nimble fingers pulled out of me.

He lay back on the bed and raised an eyebrow as he gazed at me wondering what I was up to. I scrambled up onto my knees, and leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips, but ducked out of his grasp before he could pull me on top of him.

"Have a little patients, dear." I said as I turned around to face the foot of the bed, and then swung my leg over Edward's chest to straddle his body with my legs. There was no sense taking turns and we might as well kill two birds with one stone.

"I can see we're going to get along just fine. You are a kinky little vixen, aren't you?" Edward said as he gripped my hips and pulled my crotch back to his face.

"Let's just say I'm open minded and willing to try new things," I said as I reached for the waist band of his silk boxers.

I pushed them down and his cock sprang free and slapped against his stomach with a meaty whack.

"A little help here?" I asked as I tried to tug them lower, and he raised his hips so I could push them down to his knees. Edward took over from there, and kicked them down to his ankles and off over the side of the bed.

I heard and felt Edward moan as his tongue lapped at my sex, and the feeling was incredible as it slithered through the folds of my pussy and flicked at my clit.

I reached for his cock with both hands as I gripped his erection, and then leaned down to swirl my tongue around the head. It had the overpoweringly intoxicating scent of Edward mixed with slightly pungent smell of sex from the juices leaking from the slit in the tip. I had tasted it before, but this was so much better than Mike's cock.

His fingers slid up to my entrance, slowly teasing me before pressing his fingers back inside again. I felt myself shudder with pleasure, and I groaned around his cock as I let out a whimper of delight at the intense sensation. I had a lot of experience touching myself, but it felt so much better when it was Edward's fingers in me.

I had to stretch my jaw wide open to fit Edward's monster cock into my mouth. I could only fit in the head and a couple of inches of the shaft before I started to gag when it pushed into the back of my throat. I backed off and locked my lips around the head and sucked for all I was worth. I was rewarded when I felt Edward moan with pleasure. I heard and felt his smooth moan vibrate against my heated flesh and the sensation added to my own pleasure.

He circled his tongue around my clit, flicking and teasing the sensitive bundle of nerves. He began lapping his tongue up and down between the folds of my pussy, going in circles around my clit, up and down, flicking back and forth lightly, and moving from where his fingers pumped into me then back down to circle and tease my clit. I gasped at the cool wetness as his tongue lapped flat against me from just below where his fingers were penetrating me, and then down to the throbbing peak where my clit was poking out of it's hood.

His hard shaft was well lubricated with my saliva dripping onto him, and I used both hands to work on his cock while I swirled my tongue around the head. Edward was moaning loudly with each downward bob of my head. My hands were wrapped around the base of his cock, squeezing and stroking his shaft in time with my oral attention.

He was causing such delicious sensations to course through me. Just a little more, a little closer and I knew I'd reach my peak…

"Oh god, that's incredible… Jut a little lower… Yesss, yesss… Right there…" I moaned as I let his cock pop out of my mouth.

Oh. My. God. He was right on target and my legs so wanted to clamp around his ears as his glorious tongue pushed me closer to the edge but I was straddling his chest and it kept my legs spread wide apart. My god, he was like a machine… He didn't have to stop to breath and he never got tired. Once he found the spot that gave me the most intense pleasure, he honed in on it and drove me closer and closer to the edge.

Edward moaned loud, as I sucked the head of his cock back into my mouth and gave him pleasure. My lips wrapped around him, and my head was bobbing up and down. My hands were wrapped around the shaft of his cock stroking him and milking his cock as we drove each other closer to the edge.

"God love… That's incredible…" Edward said as his tongue moved off of me.

"God don't stop now!" I shrieked at him as his cock popped out of my mouth so I could speak.

"I was just curious, love… Are you still a virgin here too?" he asked in a voice that dripped lascivious intent.

I didn't know what he meant as his tongue resumed its ministrations, driving me to my peak, and I sucked the head of his cock back between my lips as I resumed bobbing up and down.

Then something slippery and surprisingly warm stroked between my wide splayed ass cheeks, gliding across the tight rosebud of my ass.

No fucking way was he going to…

I jerked forward onto Edward's cock, driving it deeper into my throat as I felt his finger push into my virgin orifice. Not even I had ever put anything back there. It was slippery with some kind of warming lubrication and so very, very tight.

It didn't really hurt as he pushed in to the first knuckle and I groaned at the intense sensation of pleasure that radiated through me, despite my reservations. It gave me an incredible sense of fullness with his fingers pushing into both of my openings, but it just felt so very, very wrong…

Then everything seemed to happen at once.

I felt Edward tense and his orgasm splashed into the back of my throat. I didn't even think of pulling away or spitting it out. His cock was as deep in my mouth as I could take him, and I locked my lips around him and swallowed. It tasted like the drops of pre-cum oozing from the tip of his shaft when I started, but it was cool and salty sweet and filled my mouth as I tried to swallow all of it down. I got most of his cum, but a little dribble escaped and ran down my chin.

Edward hadn't stopped licking me, and he was still working his fingers in and out as the invader in my ass plunged deeper and deeper. I was panting hard I was so close as the coil in my stomach wound tighter and then I reached my peak. I fell off the edge as my climax flashed through my core, and my orgasm crashed through me.

I wanted to scream and I shrieked Edward's name as I clenched tight around his invading fingers buried deep inside me now. He pressed his tongue flat against my clit as it throbbed and pulsed under his touch. I felt my flood of wetness squirt into his mouth and his tongue worked furiously to catch every drop. My toes curled tight and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge into the throes of my orgasm…

I was panting hard and trying to take deep breaths to calm my flooded senses as the heavenly bliss spread through me. This was so much more incredible with Edward than anything I had experienced before.

I gave him one last lap of my tongue up his shaft, and wiped my chin before placing a quick peck on the head of his cock. His finger pulled out of my ass with a pop and I swung my leg back across his body. I sat back on my heels with a smug, satisfied grin plastered across my face.

I had to admit, that had to have been as incredible for me as it had been for Edward. My pussy was literally drenched, despite his best efforts, as more juices ran down my legs. I was so turned on and horny right now, I as sat and let my gaze rake across Edward as he lounged lazily on the bed.

"What the hell was up with that mister?" I asked, feigning annoyance as I tried to glare at Edward and pushed at his chest.

"Don't tell me you didn't like it. I think you rather enjoyed it, considering how hard your orgasm was."

He reached for me but I tried to dodge out of the way as I pretended to be mad. His hand fastened onto my ankle, and I blew it when I giggled as his touch on my leg tickled. He pulled me to him, and then he moved back up the bed and gathered me into his arms to cuddle me. He pulled the covers up over us and I nuzzled into his chest as his strong arms wrapped around me.

"Fine," I conceded as I melted into his arms. "I won't tell you I didn't like it. I've done most of this before, but nobody has ever touched me… back there… It just felt so wrong…"

"You said you were open minded and willing to try new things. I take it this was a new thing for you? So you did kind of like it."

"Fine, I liked it, ok?"

"So if you liked it, you'd be willing to try it again…"

I could see where this was going, and I needed to nip this in the bud. Literally.

"Don't get any funny ideas mister. It was fine as far as new experiences go, and maybe I wouldn't mind trying it again some time, but don't get any ideas about trying to stick anything else back there. I'm going to barely be able fit your cock where it's supposed to go if we ever get that far. That thing is huge and it looks like it'll split me in half. There's no way you're going to try and fit it… back there."

"Perhaps when you're more durable…"

"In your dreams, buddy. Not now, not ever."

"You know, if you make me change you, I can make you like it before I release you…"

"You wouldn't dare…"

"You'll never know, will you? Or you won't care. That's one of the perks of being a maker."

"You're just saying that to try and scare me…"

"Maybe. Is it working?"

"Relationships are built on trust, Edward. If I tell you no, I expect you to respect my wishes."

"Then it is going to be exceedingly difficult for me to earn and maintain your trust, love."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm not used to hearing no."

"Get used to it."

"I was pushing the limits of my self-control throughout our encounter. The fact that you maintain the status of your technical virginity is fairly remarkable. My dates don't normally remain this platonic or chaste."

"I would hardly describe what we've been doing as platonic or chaste."

"My point, exactly. I've been holding back to respect your wishes."

"This is you holding back? I'd like to see what you're like when let go."

"Just say the word, love."

"Not tonight. You're being so good. I'd hate to spoil you…"

"You're an evil little vixen, and a tease."

"How am I a tease? I said I give as good as I get. Were you not satisfied? I seem to remember that you came just as hard as I did."

"Ok, not a tease."

"I'll accept that."

"So you're an evil little vixen?"

"Maybe… Is your control up to another test?"

"I don't know… What did you have in mind?"

"I know this outfit is supposed to be sexy, but I'm dying to get out of this garter belt. Will you help me take off my stockings?"

"I rather liked seeing you in them, are you sure?"

"Well, I know you put your best effort forward to clean up all of my juices, but the stockings are a bit of a mess now, and they're sticking to me. Besides, there's a shower here, right? I'm going to need to take them off anyhow so we can cleanup before we leave."

"That sounds intriguing. You know, the shower here is quite large enough for two or more."

"That sounds like fun…"

"And you'd like me to help you finish undressing?"

"Please?"

"Well, you did say please…"

"So you'll help…?"

"Perhaps… am I allowed to touch you however I like?"

"You've already touched me in more places than I allow my doctor to. As long as you respect my limits, then sure."

"So to be perfectly clear, I'm allowed to use my hands." One hand fondled my breast and tweaked my nipple, while the other dipped between my legs. His fingers pushed into my pussy and stroked across my clit as a burst of pleasure flashed through me."

"Yesss…" I moaned.

"And I'm allowed to use my tongue…" His hand turned my head back to meet him halfway and his lips crashed onto mine. His tongue thrust between my lips as he plundered my mouth and I didn't resist. My hand reached back to pull him closer, and I kissed him back just as hard. Then he was pulling away, breaking the kiss.

"Yes. You can use your tongue wherever you like…"

"But I'm not allowed to use my cock…" I could feel his cock resting against the crack of my ass. He was already hard again. He ground it against me and I felt the length of it pushing between my thighs to rub against my sex from behind."

"No… Not yet. I'll take care of you, but not like that…"

"Are you sure, love…" He pushed forward again while his hand pressed his cock upwards. The length of his shaft sank between the lips of my pussy, grinding into me. The head ground against my clit as the shaft sawed forward between my lips, and I moaned loud.

I realized all he'd need to do was rock his hips back to line up the tip with my opening and he could push it into me…

"No…" I moaned. I so wanted him to just do it, but I knew it was too soon for that. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if he pushed my limits a little…

"Alright, if you're certain… So I am to remove your remaining undergarments. I suppose I should begin my task. Like back, love, and let me get started."

Edward slid out from behind me and I whimpered at the loss of contact when his cock pulled out from between my legs. He gently pushed my shoulder down so I was lying on my back again as he pushed the covers off of us. His hands reached for my knees as he hooked his hands under them, pushing them apart and back as he moved between them to scoot up against me.

I felt excited and vulnerable and exposed with Edward between my legs. His erect cock was mere inches away from my pussy, and all he'd need to do was lean forward over me to push it in. I felt his hands on my legs, and then he was lifting my ankles onto his shoulders as his hands caressed the silky sheaths encasing my legs.

Edward leaned forward as his hands reached under me to cup my ass as he squeezed my cheeks. I moaned when I felt his cock graze through the sparse curly pubic hairs that fringed my sex as the head of his cock traced along the length of my pussy lips.

Then his fingers were tracing up the suspender straps that ran up the backs of my thighs. They traced all the way up to the welt at the top of the stockings. He leaned back as his hands caressed up the backs of my thighs and his erection pulled back and broke contact. His nimble fingers found the snaps, and then flipped the snaps open releasing the straps.

Edward leaned forward again tracing his strong hands down the outside of thighs, leaning further forward so his hands could reach the top of the garter belt that sat on my hips. I gasped when I felt his cock trace along the length of my sex, and then push between my pussy lips as the head of his cock stroked along the length of my sex between my lips.

His hands traced up the suspender straps running the length of the outside of my thighs as he leaned back to run his hands up to the welt of the stockings. I moaned at the loss of contact as his cock slipped out of me when he sat back, and then his fingers flipped the second set of snaps open releasing the straps.

"You know, love, this is kind of like unwrapping a present. What with all the ribbons and bows. Do I get to have what's inside when I'm done?"

"That depends on what you're going to do with it when you're done…"

Edward was leaning forward again as his hands traced down the fronts of my thighs, and then moved onto my stomach as they traced ever higher up my body. He pushed my legs back, spreading me open as he moved over me. I moaned again as I felt the head of his cock push between my pussy lips again and stroke the length of my sex. I gasped as his cock pushed onto my clit and ground against it.

"I don't know… Is it something I can wear? I'd dearly like to see if it fits…"

His strong hands fondled my breasts and tweaked at my nipples, and then he was moving back, tracing his hands up the fronts of my thighs. I moaned in frustration when his cock slid out from between my pussy lips and broke contact. He found the snaps at the end of the last set of suspender straps, and flipped the snaps open releasing my stockings.

"Maybe it isn't something you wear… Maybe it's something you eat…" I gasped in a breathless murmur.

I so wanted to just give in and tell him to do it, but then this would end like every one of Edward's other dates. The only difference was that I'd remember all of this, unlike most of his previous partners. I wanted things to be different between us, and that meant we both had to wait. Maybe I was a tease, but it would make him want to come back for more if nothing else. I knew we'd both want to finish what we'd started here tonight.

"I suppose that works too…, although I was really hoping to see if it fit. So do I just get to taste it, or is it something that will satisfy all of my appetites?"

He was sliding my stocking up my leg as he spoke and planted kisses along my knee, my calf, and the arch on the bottom of my foot as he pulled the stocking off over my toes.

"I think you should just taste it… How would you satisfy your appetite down there? I thought that was more of a kissing and neck thing?"

"I can show you if you'd like… There are many places were I can satisfy my appetites. The experience can be very pleasurable if you allow it…"

He was sliding my other stocking up my leg as he spoke and trailed his tongue up my leg, tasting me as he dragged the shear silky fabric higher. He reached the arch on the bottom of my foot and planted a kiss there as he pulled the stocking off over my toes.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet, Edward. This is fun, but I think that's still off limits, ok?"

He leaned forward again and his cock rubbed up the length of my pussy as he reached under me and hooked his fingers into the elastic band of my garter belt. I raised my hips so he could pull it down, and the added pressure caused his cock to saw between my pussy lips again.

I gasped as the head of his cock ground against my clit, and then he was leaning back again as he pulled the garment up my legs and tossed it over the side of the bed.

We were both completely naked now as I lay on my back and Edward kneeled between my thighs with my ankles on his shoulders.

"It looks like my present is unwrapped. Can I have it now?"

"Yesss." I moaned as his hands stroked down my legs and dipped between my thighs.

"Alright." Edward said as he leaned forward, and pushed my legs back to my chest as my pelvis rolled up in front of him. He pushed my knees down as my legs spread apart, and I was fully exposed to him as my thighs splayed open.

"Just to be perfectly clear, I'm not allowed to do this…?"

He was holding my legs forward with one hand, and he reached back and gripped his cock in his other hand. I felt it push between the lips of my pussy, and he stroked the head up and down the length of my sex. I moaned when he ground the head against my clit.

"No," I gasped, "you're not allowed to do that…" but I didn't want him to stop either.

"And I'm not allowed to put it in here either…?"

He stroked the head of his cock back to my opening, and I could feel it pressing against me. It would be so easy for him to just let his weight settle on me and push it in…

"No…?" I squeaked. I could feel my hips trying to lift to push up against him, but I couldn't move the way he had me pinned down. "You're still in control, right…?" I gasped

"I am in control," and I knew he was the way he said it in a slightly commanding voice. He could tell me what to do, and I wouldn't argue. I craved it and want him to tell me what to do. It wasn't mind control or compulsion. I just felt a need to please Edward. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, and in that moment, I knew I could trust him.

Then the moment passed and I felt his cock move out from between my legs. I whimpered at the loss of contact as it grazed down the crack of my ass, and I gave a shudder of mixed anticipation and revulsion as it briefly came to rest on my rosebud, and then fell off of me.

I felt Edward shifting back although I was still pinned down with my legs pushed forward and my pussy was spread open fully exposed to him.

"So you want me to taste you…"

"Yesss," I moaned as he kissed across the backs of my thighs, circling closer to my center.

"And I'm allowed to use my tongue however I like…?"

His lips pressed against my lower lips as he kissed my sex.

"Oh god… Yesss…" I moaned as his tongue swirled through my pussy lips.

Then his tongue was lapping at my opening. It swirled between my inner lips, and then it was pushing inside like it had plunged into my mouth between my other lips.

"Oh my god…" I groaned as his thumb moved onto my clit and stroked it back and forth while his rigid tongue plunged into me over and over again.

It was so different from his fingers pushing into me. It felt bigger but slippery and wet at as it thrust into me and then pulled back to plunge in again and again.

The sensation was incredible… he was like a machine… He didn't have to stop to breath and he never got tired as he fucked me with his supple slippery tongue.

"Fuck… Unhhh… fuck… Edward… Unhhh…fuck…" I was panting hard I was so close as the coil in the pit my stomach wound tighter spiraling higher and faster towards my peak.

His hand was moving on me as he rapidly stroked my clit from side to side and frigged if back and forth driving me closer to the edge as he worked furiously at the sensitive bundle of nerves.

"Unhhh…Oh God… Fuck… God, I'm so close… I'm gonna cum!" I screamed. Edward thrust hard and fast once, twice, again, and then suddenly I was at the peak. My climax flashed through my core, and my orgasm crashed through me.

I screamed Edward's name as I clenched tight around his tongue pushed deep inside me. He held himself still, with it deep inside as my clit throbbed and pulsed under his thumb.

I felt my flood of wetness squirt out of me as his tongue slid out, but his lips were pressed tight to my pussy and it flowed into his mouth as he sucked it out of me. All the muscles in my body contracted, my toes curled tight, and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge and my orgasm carried me away…

Edward licked me clean, catching every drop before he let go of my legs and gently lowered them to the bed. I was trying to take deep breaths to calm down as awareness returned and the heavenly bliss spread through me.

"Wow," I exclaimed when I could speak again. Maybe Alice was right. I hadn't had a cock inside of me yet, but that had to count as sex.

Edward reached for the comforter he'd kicked aside earlier and pulled the cover up over us. He crawled up beside me as he gathered me into his arms and held me as we spooned together. He gently cradled my body as he nuzzled my cheek and planted light kisses on my face and neck.

"Thank you for my present." He said.

"You're thanking me? That was incredible…"

"So I take it you liked that?"

"Yes, I liked that very much."

"Maybe we can try that again next time…"

"So there's going to be a next time?" I asked. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I had to ask.

"Oh yes, Miss Swan. I'm not letting you get away that easily. I can be quite persistent when I find something I want."

"You want me?"

"Very much so, love."

"So we're friends now, right?"

"If that's what you want. It can be more if you like…"

"Friends is good for now. I can handle that much, Edward."

"Ok, I suppose we should shower and get dressed to go drop off the car with Jasper."

"Do we have to leave already?"

"We can stay as long as you like love. We have the room for the night now, longer if you wish. Of course, if you intend to stand by the story you and Alice have concocted for your father, then we'll need to leave soon."

"Just hold me Edward… We have time for that, don't we?"

"For as long as you'll allow me to."

"Forever is starting to sound better all the time." I said as I turned in his arms to face him.

His lips pressed to mine, and my tongue pushed into his mouth as I kissed him. We lay like that as time slipped away and we just touched and caressed and kissed each other. It was light and languorous and sweet as I lost myself in him and all of his attention was focused on me.

Time passed and my head was resting on Edward's shoulder as he traced lazy circles on the small of my back with his fingers. His leg was resting between mine as I cuddled close to him and pushed my pussy against his hip. My hand gently rested on his chest lightly caressing back and forth as we lay there in bed together just holding each other.

He turned to me and gently placed a kiss on my forehead. "We really need to be going, love, unless you're writing off Forks, and want to run away with me. Either way is fine by me, but it's your decision…"

"Fine. Where's the bathroom?" I asked as I slid out of his arms and hopped down off the bed. "You know, you ruined my panties when you tore them off, and there's no way I'm putting these stockings back on."

"Come on, I'll show you. Some articles of clothing are meant to be disposable. There are fresh undergarments in that dresser." He said as he indicated an ornately carved cabinet next to the bathroom doorway. "Take whatever you need."

Watching Edward walk across a room fully clothed was hard enough and nearly took my breath away. Naked Edward climbing out of the bed where we'd just had a hot make out session and strolling across the room in all of his glory was almost too distracting to watch as my mind conjured images of tackling him and dragging him back into bed for round three.

"Are you sure?" I asked dumbstruck as I followed him across the room to the bathroom.

"It's part of the service. You know, you don't really need them if you don't want them. Your coat is long enough to cover everything, and you'll be changing again as soon as we get to Julian's."

"My coat is downstairs in the coat check…"

"Would you like me to have them send it up?"

"Thanks, but I'll look in the dresser. This might be a night for new experiences, but I'm not about to go commando in a mini-skirt and a trench coat while I ride across town club hopping. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not that much of a bad girl, thank you very much."

"Hmm. That is an intriguing idea… Have you ever fantasized about having sex in public places?"

"What? No…! I mean… you want to know my fantasies now?" I wasn't about to tell him that it made me wet just hearing him suggest the idea, but that was something we'd have to work up to.

"We're friends now right? Friend with benefits…? Doesn't that kind of go with the territory? How am I supposed to satisfy your needs if I don't know your fantasies?"

"Let's work on getting home on time right now. We can work up to baring our souls and sharing our deepest secrets another night, ok?"

"Fine. May I join you in the shower, or would you prefer your privacy."

Privacy wasn't such a big issue when we were standing there naked talking about this.

"I might need a human minute to relieve myself, but modesty isn't really an issue if you'd like to join me."

"Trust me; I'm not squeamish about bodily functions. Maybe we can have fun with that sometime too."

I didn't even want to ask what he meant by that, but I had a pretty good idea already.

"C'mon then, I'll scrub your back if you'll scrub mine," Edward smirked at my comment, and I could see his cock start to twitch as he stepped toward the door. "But no funny business, alright? We get washed and we leave."

"I thought you wanted to get dressed first?"

"C'mon, smart ass; you know what I mean…"

I probably should have taken the shower by myself, but then it was a night for new experiences.

We walked into the bathroom, and it was huge. Maybe I should have looked in here first, before we spent the night in bed. There was a shower that was large enough for a small party all by itself, and a huge whirlpool tub that would easily seat four, or more if they were really close friends. The wall behind the counter was completely mirrored all the way to the ceiling, and the counters with double sinks looked like they were marble.

I walked over to the black porcelain toilet and raised the lid to sit down while Edward ran the shower. It had been a long night, and the beers and shots needed to part company with me now. It hadn't really been uncomfortable, but it was a relief to relieve my bladder. I wiped and flushed the toilet, and then went to join Edward in the shower.

There were several shower heads around the large stall, and a couple of shower wands attached to hoses so you could direct the stream of water however you liked.

I started to twist my hair up into a bun as I looked around for something to hold it in place, when Edward said, "There's a dryer in the drawer in the counter if you'd like me to wash your hair for you," and I let it go to fall down my back.

"Alright," I said. "I didn't know if I'd have time to let it dry before we had to leave."

I stepped into the shower, and let the stream of hot water cascade over my body. I stepped under the shower head and let the stream of water soak my hair, and then Edward was stepping up behind me, pressing his body to mine. I stepped out of the stream of water, and then he was pulling my hair aside to kiss down the column of my neck.

"Hey, I thought we were going to get washed?" I asked playfully as I cocked my head to the side to allow him better access to my neck. His hands circled around my front to fondle my breast as his erection ground into my backside.

"The water heightens your natural scent, love, and it's intoxicating enough as it is. You literally drive me crazy, and I need to touch you…"

"Alright… Well touch my hair, and use a little soap. I don't mind the touching but can we do a little washing at the same time?"

"Your wish, my command, love," and he reached for the shampoo. He squeezed some into the palm of his hand and then smoothed it onto my hair.

Edward's fingers and hands were glorious as they massaged my scalp and worked the shampoo into a lather. He finished with my hair, and then his soapy lather covered hands roamed over my body caressing and stroking as he washed me and made sure every inch of my skin was impeccably clean.

I reached for a shower puff and some liquid body wash and worked up a lather of my own to wash Edward. I had to be sure he was completely clean before we left, and my hands roamed over every inch of him in my quest to eradicate any trace of dirt.

I was trying to wash his balls and scrotum, but they seemed to resist my efforts, and I found myself dropping to my knees to insure I made a through effort. I was stroking along the length of his shaft washing him as I gently tugged on his scrotum while he leaned back against the wall of the shower stall moaning.

I used the shower wand to rinse the soap away, but I knew there was only one way to make sure he was completely clean. I leaned forward and kissed the head of his cock, and then my hands were stroking back and forth along the length of his shaft while I opened my mouth and sucked the head between my lips. The outside was perfectly clean, but there was only one way to make sure his cock was clean inside and out.

My lips wrapped around the head of his cock, and I swirled my tongue around the head as I moved on him. Edward was moaning loudly with each forward bob of my head. My hands were wrapped around the base of his cock, squeezing and stroking his shaft in time with my oral attention.

"Oh my god... Jesus, Bella… That feels sooo good..."

I hallowed out my cheeks, and increased the vacuum in my mouth, sucking harder. Edward moaned and his hips bucked gently as I flicked my tongue against the underside of his shaft and then circled it around the base of his head.

"So good… You're so hot… God you're fucking incredible…"

Edward moaned loud, as he fought for control despite the intense pleasure I was giving him. My lips wrapped around him, and my head was bobbing back and forth. My hands wrapped around the shaft of his cock stroking him and milking his cock. His hands were resting on my head and he lightly stroked my hair as it slipped between his fingers.

His eyes were closed, and his head was thrown back, thrashing from side to side. His whole body was shaking with the pleasure I was giving him and I knew it was an effort for him to hold back and not thrust his hips forward into my mouth.

I knew he was fighting for control. If he lost it now, would he simply throw me down in the shower and have his way with me? Part of me wanted to find out, and another part of me feared that, but it didn't make me hold back as I pushed him closer and closer to release.

I reached back with one hand and stroked his scrotum again and I heard him moan louder_._ I gently palmed it for a moment, before rolling his balls around in my hand. An exhilarated moan escaped his lips at the unexpected sensation this generated. I caressed his balls and gently tugged on his sack as my other hand milked his shaft.

"Ahh God!" Edward moaned out loudly at the gentle tugging.

Thank god for the internet and deliciously smutty stories. There was so much more I wanted to try, but I didn't think he was going to last much longer.

I reached back behind his sack and started to massage his perineum where I could feel the slight swelling between the base of his cock and his asshole.

"My god, woman…! Are you trying to drive me insane…? God that's sooo good…!"

I felt Edward tense up, and I sensed his imminent release.

"Oh god… Bella... I... So good… Love, I'm going to... Aah! Bella!"

He gripped my head tighter, pushing deeper into my mouth, but I wanted this and I held tighter and sucked harder. With a tremendous groan he exploded down my throat, panting, twitching and moaning in ecstasy.

I felt Edward's orgasm splash into the back of my throat as he pushed his cock was deep in my mouth, and I locked my lips around him and swallowed. I didn't mind the taste as the cool, salty sweet torrent filled my mouth and I tried to swallow all of it down. I got almost all of his cum, and only a tiny dribble escaped to run down my chin this time.

Edward's knees buckled as his softening cock popped out of my mouth, and then he was sliding down the wall of the shower stall to sit on the ceramic tile floor. He reached for me and pulled me onto his lap as my legs wrapped around him straddling his waist. He gathered me into his arms to cuddle me, and then his lips found mine as our tongues danced together.

We sat like that for a while under the streams of water raining down on us as held each other and made out on the floor of the shower.

I knew it was time to go when I felt Edward start to harden under me again. I had tempted fate and Edward enough for one night. I was sitting on his lap, and I could feel the tip of his cock pressing into my pussy between my legs as he became aroused again. All I had to do was sit there and keep kissing him, and it would be inside me in another couple of minutes.

"Edward, dear, I think we should go…" I said, breaking the kiss

"Why do you say that love? Things are just starting to get interesting…" I felt him shift slightly and the head of his cock pushed between my pussy lips to lodge against my opening.

"Not tonight, Edward. We talked about this, ok? Now let me up. Where are the towels?"

"Fine, my stubborn little vixen, let's go. There are towels in the cabinets next to the sink."

Edward lifted me off of his lap, and stood up. He offered me his hand and helped me to my feet, and then turned off the water as I stepped out of the shower to find the towels. I handed him a towel when he stepped out of the shower, and then I hurried to get dried off.

I wrapped a towel around myself, and then used another dry towel to squeeze as much water out of my hair as I could. I found the blow dryer in the drawer, and spent some time drying my hair so it would be dry when I got home. Nothing would be more of a dead giveaway that I hadn't really gone to the basketball game, than showing up at home with wet hair.

I studied the hickey on my neck in the mirror, and I didn't really feel that bad about it. I actually kind of liked it. It was like a souvenir from my night out, and a tangible reminder of what I had shared with Edward. It was low enough that my shirt collar should hide it, but that was a double edged sword because I wouldn't be able to use make up to hide it. My collar would just wipe the make up away and it would be even more obvious with my collar stained with cover up.

It was getting late, or early depending on how you looked at it, and I knew we'd never get out of here if we were both still naked. It was too easy for us to touch or caress and start another round of play that would only lead us back to the shower again.

I went to the dresser, and found some clean panties and stockings. It was probably a waste of time, at least for the stockings, but I'd been wearing them when I walked in, and I'd be damned if I was going to walk out without them. Everyone we saw would assume what we'd been doing in here despite the shower, but I could at least try to look the same when we left as I had when I arrived.

It was a matter of pride, and Alice had warned me about the walk of shame. I was fine right now, but how would I feel in the morning? Would Edward treat me the same way? I knew I probably should have waited, and gotten to know him better first, but we just seemed to click, and I didn't feel bad about my decision to get closer to Edward.

I collected my clothes and got dressed, and then went back into the bathroom to fix my makeup. I hadn't brought any of my own, but the suite was well stocked, and I found everything I needed. Edward was dressed and ready to go when I walked out into the main room. He had his phone held to his ear and was in the middle of a conversation.

"I know."

"I know."

"She's ready, we're leaving right now."

"I'm not sorry. We talked about it…"

"Fine, have everything ready. We'll be there in fifteen minutes…"

"I can't get us there any faster unless I port from here…"

"Then you'll have to come with us. We'll deal with it when we get back."

"Ok, we're leaving now," He clicked his phone shut and slid it into a clip on his belt.

"Are you ready to go, love? Alice says we need to hurry."

"I'm fine. What's wrong?" I asked. I hadn't brought much with me, and I had everything in my purse.

Edward took my hand, and led me out of the room as we hurried downstairs to the coat check.

"Apparently we threw off Alice's schedule with that little tryst in the shower. Angela got home thirty minutes ago. Your father was waiting up for you and saw her drive past your house when she got home. He's trying to decide if he should walk down to the Webbers, and ask Angela if she's heard from you tonight."

"Why hasn't he tried to call me?" I asked.

"Alice said to check your voice mail. Apparently your phone is set to silent, and we were too preoccupied to notice it vibrating."

"Shit. What should I do?"

"Alice is running damage control. Your father called her when he couldn't get you. She told him you were running late because you stopped to get something to eat after the game."

"What reason did she give for why I couldn't talk to him?"

"She said you were asleep."

"Well, he might buy that for a couple of minutes, but he'll expect me to call him back when she wakes me up. I need to know exactly what she told him, so we get our stories straight."

We were outside now, and Edward handed the valet the ticket for his car. I felt my purse buzz in my hand as we stood there waiting. I took out my phone and checked the caller ID. There was no way I was going to talk to my dad before I compared notes with Alice. I breathed a sigh of relief and answered the call.

"_Well it's about goddamn time, Miss naughty pants. I hope you two enjoyed yourselves. You couldn't just take the shower alone?_"

"Can we discuss this later, Alice? What's my story? I need to call Charlie back before he freaks and calls the FBI or something."

"_Fine. We stopped at Denny's in Aberdeen after the game on the way home. They're open twenty-four hours a day, so he'll believe that. I had the steak and eggs, and you had the Grand Slam. They dropped your plate when the server was coming out of the kitchen and had to re-do your whole order from scratch. We stopped at the Shell station to fill up with gas after and we've been on the road ever since. You should be home in about twenty-five minutes, give or take._"

"Thanks Alice."

"_You're gonna owe me big time for this one. I'm gonna have to leave my car here, and port back with you guys now!_"

"I'm sorry, Alice. I'll try and make it up to you…"

"_Good. I have some ideas already…_"

That was almost too scary to think about. I knew what Alice liked, and I hated shopping…

"_Don't worry, you'll have fun too. I said we needed a spa day. Maybe Rose and Esme will go with us…_"

Ok, maybe shopping wasn't so bad after all.

"Let me work on not getting grounded first, and then we can make plans, ok?"

"_Fine, call me back._"

The call ended, and I clicked my phone shut. The valet had brought the car around, and Edward was holding the door open for me. I got in and Edward closed my door. He dashed around to the other side, and then we were driving.

"Make your call," Edward said, and I nodded as I speed dialed Charlie's number.

"_Chief Swan_" the voice sounded anxious and impatient as the call picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, dad, it's Bella…" I said as I tried to sound like I'd just woken up.

"_Isabella Marie Swan, what the hell is going on? Angela Webber got home from the basketball game almost a half an hour ago. Where are you?_"

"I'm in the car on my way home, dad. I was sleeping. Alice said you called her."

"_You didn't answer your phone… I worry about you when you're with Alice…_"

"I'm sorry, dad. I put it on silent, and it didn't wake me up when it buzzed. We're almost home. We should be there in another twenty-five, thirty minutes or so. I don't understand why you get so worried about Alice."

"_I just do. Why are you two so late? Angela's already home._"

"We stopped at Denny's in Aberdeen to eat after the game. The waitress dropped my plate, and they had to start my order over from scratch. Maybe the clumsiness is my curse. I stop falling down, but now people around me do."

"_Alright, Can I talk to Alice?_"

"You know it's illegal to talk on a cell phone while you're driving, dad. She'd have to pull over again, and it'll just make us later."

"_Fine, but we're going to talk about this when you get home. You worried me when I couldn't get a hold of you._"

"I'll be home in a little bit, and then we can talk."

"_Ok. I'll be waiting for you._"

"Bye, dad. You should go to bed and try and get some sleep…"

"_I'm waiting…_" the call ended when he hung up the phone.

"He's suspicious," I said. "I don't think he believes I really went to the basketball game."

"Well, you didn't. He loves you, and he cares about your well being. He's your father and you're precious to him. It's his duty to look out for you."

"I could do with a little less looking out for right now. He's got to understand that I'm not a little girl anymore. Girls grow up and become women."

"You are only seventeen, love. He has a few more years before he'll be ready to let go willingly."

"Well, then you've got your work cut out for you, don't you?"

"Perhaps Chief Swan will be willing to share."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up. At least I'll be able to make my own decisions and come and go as I please in another nine months. Can you at least try to get along with him until then?"

"I'm not the one you need to convince, love. Most fathers seem to hold a grudge against the men that turn their little girls into women. I think it has to do with that whole stealing their virginity thing."

"You haven't stolen anything yet."

"Not for lack of trying, love."

"Fine. You can keep trying as long as I can keep saying no."

"You could say yes."

"Lets work up to that, ok?"

"I eagerly await that day."

"Keep waiting."

"I will. We're here. Let's get you changed, and then we need to get you home."

Edward whipped the Volvo into a parking place in the lot, and then he was out of the car and opening my door. He took my hand, and then we were hurrying into the club through a side entrance.

"Will I be able to go home if you change me?"

"And who's the smart ass now? Come on, Alice is waiting for us." Edward said as he strode down the hallway, pulling me along with him.

My steps didn't quite match his, and somebody that was paying close attention might have realized that my feet didn't actually touch the ground as I let him pull me along beside him.

"Fine. What about the car? Won't we be a little suspicious showing up in something besides Alice's Porsche?"

"Your father didn't see you leave. He doesn't know what she was driving. Her car can be in the shop."

"Ok."

There was a door in front of us and it opened as we approached it without either of us touching it. I let the sight settle over my vision, and caught the tracery of blue threads Edward had used to push the door open ahead of us.

"Good, you're here! Everything's ready. Hurry and change, Bella." Alice said excitedly as we walked in.

Alice was already wearing her 'school clothes' and I noticed the wedding ring was gone from her left hand as she stood by the door waiting for us. Jasper stood beside her and just nodded to us. Edward tossed him his keys, and then strode to the circle laid out in golden mosaic on the ceramic tile floor in the center of the room.

The room itself was mostly undecorated in an austere art-deco motif. There was no furniture beside a couple of potted palms in the corner of the room. The most prominent feature was the ornate circle mosaic on the floor laid out as the full Key of Solomon.

"Give me a minute to prepare. I'll be ready by the time you're dressed." He said.

"Fine, where are my clothes?" I asked as I was shrugging out of my coat.

Alice pointed to the door next to where they were standing, and I hurried into the room to change. Alice followed me in and shut the door behind us, and I didn't complain. The room appeared to be a dressing room of sorts with a closet, some dressers and a vanity. My clothes were laid out on a dressing table. I tossed the coat onto the sofa, and started to get undressed.

"Let me get your shoes." Alice said. "That seemed to slow you down last time."

I didn't argue, and just levitated about three feet off the floor and held out my foot while I worked on the buttons on my blouse.

"Huh, I guess this is easier. So you had a good time tonight?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you, Alice."

"You can thank me after we get you home, and Charlie doesn't ground you for life."

"He did sound rather suspicious on the phone. What does he think we did?"

"Well, if you were out with anyone else but me, he'd probably think you were sneaking off to see a boy."

"Umm… I did."

"Yeah, but you were with me. He probably thinks I tried to have a little taste, and then made you forget about it. Don't be surprised if he tries to check you out for bite marks."

"He wouldn't…! Besides, you guys don't leave any marks that I've ever seen."

"They're there if you know what to look for. It's more obvious when they're fresh… Umm… You don't have any bite marks, do you?"

"No…! Umm… Does this count?" I asked as I pulled aside the collar of my shirt and cocked my head so she could see my hickey.

"Damn it, Edward! No, that doesn't count. It just makes it look like you've been fooling around. Don't let your father see that."

"I'm not stupid, Alice. Well, maybe a little. I did let you talk me into this whole mess. Why would I have any bite marks? You know how I feel about that, and wouldn't you know if I did?"

"It happens sometimes… If we lose control that way... You know you were really pushing his buttons tonight. I thought you were going to push him too far. He's stronger than I thought."

"Maybe I wanted him to lose control. Would that have been so bad?"

"I thought you were the one who wanted to decide when it happened? And is that even fair to Edward? If you want it own up to it. Don't put it off on him and make him force the issue. You'll both regret that in the long run."

"I'm sorry, Alice. You're right. I'll talk to him about it. I think I'm ready to say yes."

"You don't need to apologize to me, and it didn't happen, so you don't need to apologize to him either. Just next time if you want it, let him know. Don't make him think it's all his idea."

"Ok."

"And no, I wouldn't necessarily know. I tried to give you as much privacy as I'm able to. I don't want to see all the details, Bella. That should be between you and Edward."

"Thanks, Alice. Ok, let's go," I said as I tied my shoe.

"Here, take your purse, and you'll need this." She handed me my bigger everyday purse and a scrap of paper.

"What's this?" I asked as we hurried out of the room. Alice was carrying my school bag as we hurried to the circle.

"The receipt for dinner at Denny's. You might need some physical evidence to back up your story. Now let me see your hand."

I stuffed the receipt into my purse, and then I held out my hand. She marked the back of it with a sharpie marker.

"What's that for?"

"It's where they marked your hand when you went into the basketball game." She held up her hand, and she had the same mark on the back of her hand.

"Ready, love?" Edward asked as we stepped into the circle.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. What do I need to do? You said this trip would be smoother, right?"

"Move in closer to me…" Edward said as he swept the two of us into his arms and pulled us close. "Sorry Alice…"

Suddenly Edward's lips were pressed to mine as my body molded to his and his tongue pushed into my mouth. The kiss was intense and took my breath away with the suddenness of his action. I almost mistook the pulse of energy when he activated the portal for the electricity that flashed down my spine as goose bumps broke out all over my body and the fine hairs on my arms stood on end.

There was the briefest flash of discomfort, but I was lost in a timeless kiss with Edward as we spun through eternity and his body pressed to mine became my reality. The fact that the rest of the universe ceased to exist was an inconsequential triviality as long as we were together.

Then Edward stepped back as he broke the kiss and we were standing in a garage. It seemed too big to be part of a private residence as I took in the long line of cars. I looked around and one end was set up like an auto shop complete with a hydraulic car lift. Then I recognized some of the vehicles, and I knew we had to be in the Cullen's garage.

"I thought you said it was going to be smoother!" Alice complained with a shudder as she tried to shake off the effects of the portal.

"I lied." He said and shrugged as Alice glared at him.

"What do you mean, Alice?" I asked. "That was a hundred times better. I hardly felt a thing…" I said as I looked at Edward, and I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks.

"You were distracted. I should have made Jasper come with us too. C'mon, let's go I still have to drive you home."

"Ok."

Alice hurried down the row of cars and got into a big black Mercedes sedan. I let her go, and turned back to Edward. I stepped in close so I was pressed up against him again and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"So I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

"Of course, love," He said as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against him.

His face bent down to meet mine, and then our lips met in a kiss. My mouth was open to him, and I felt the tip of his tongue touch mine as the kiss deepened and became more passionate. Our lips ground together as his hands moved on my body touching and caressing. I lost myself in his arms as time seemed to stand still again.

Alice was honking the horn and it broke me out of my blissful reverie. I stepped back and broke the kiss but my hands lingered, not wanting to let go.

"So, friends?" I said as I took another step away.

"More than friends, if you like. Go on now so you don't get in any more trouble."

"C'mon, Bella! We have to go!" Alice shouted out the car window.

"Alright… Good night, Edward," and then I turned and hurried to the car and got into the passenger seat before I could change my mind.

"It's about goddamn time." Alice said as I closed the door and she burned rubber as the car squealed out of the garage.

It was dark out and I couldn't make out a lot of detail, but it looked like we drove around a huge white house set between massive cedars in a clearing in the forest. Then we were winding through the forest. It was too scary to watch Alice drive, but I couldn't close my eyes. That would have been even worse. She didn't even turn on the headlights and I didn't know how she managed to navigate the winding course through the trees.

At the last minute the headlights flashed on, and then we made a sharp turn onto the highway as the wheels spun and spat gravel across the blacktop. If there had been any cross traffic, we would have been toast, but she didn't even look as she made the turn.

I felt the car leap forward as she pushed her foot down to the floor and the powerful engine hurled us forward. I recognized Highway 101, but it looked like we were north of town instead of coming in from the south if we were driving up from Aberdeen. It didn't really matter unless we passed another cop. Charlie wouldn't know where we'd come from by the time we were back in my neighborhood.

We made it to the edge of town in minutes, and then Alice had to slow down as we crossed the bridge into Forks.

"I'm sorry, Alice. Thank you so much for everything…"

"Stop apologizing, Bella, but you're welcome. I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'd say I'd dreamed about somebody like you to come into our lives for a long time now if I could dream. Let's just say it's been on my mind a lot for a long time now."

"I still don't know why this is so important to you."

"Edward and his happiness are very important to me. Now your happiness is important to me too. You'll figure it out eventually."

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because it'd ruin the surprise, and I like having you as my friend."

"I wouldn't be your friend anymore if you told me? I doubt that. You're my best friend, Alice. Nothing is going to change that."

"Thanks, Bella. I like you too. I just don't want things to get weird between us. The longer you have to adjust, the better you'll take it."

"Fine."

Alice pulled up in front of the house and all of the lights were on. I could see Charlie looking out the curtains. I didn't know if he recognized the car or not.

"Ok, here you go. Good luck. Stick to the story, and I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Thanks, Alice," and I opened the door to get out of the car.

"And, Bella… You don't have to defend me, but thanks anyhow."

"Ok… You're my best friend. We look out for each other. That's how it works." I didn't know what she meant, but nobody was going to bad mouth Alice while I was around.

"Hey, don't forget your bag…" I reached into the backseat and grabbed my school bag, and then I shut the door. Alice had her window rolled down so Charlie could see her in the driver seat. I waved as Alice pulled away from the curb, and then I turned to go into the house to face the music.

Charlie was standing on the porch with his arms crossed on his chest and the door standing open behind him as I walked up to the house. He was glaring at me as I walked up the steps, and silently walked past him into the house. He followed me in and closed the door. I tried to just keep walking and almost made it to the foot of the stairs.

"Hold it right there, young lady. We're going to talk about this…"

I turned to look at him, and he pointed to the sofa in the living room. I put down my bag by the stairs and went into the living room to sit down.

"What did you want to discuss, dad?" I asked in as innocent a voice as I could muster up.

"It's two-thirty in the morning on a school night, Bella! Your curfew is ten-thirty…"

"I called and asked you if it was alright if I stayed out later. All of our away games are a two or three hour drive each way. You gave me your permission. Are you changing your mind now? That doesn't seem fair."

"Angela Webber got home almost an hour and a half ago! I didn't know what happened to you."

"I'm sorry dad. I should have called you when we decided to stop for dinner. I told you we were going to take our time coming home. I was making Alice drive the speed limit until I fell asleep. She really drives too fast all the time."

"Ok. You're home safe. That's what matters. I'll let it go this time, but I want to know where you are and who you're with. I expect you to call me if your plans change. This is a dangerous world, Bella, despite what most people want to believe."

"Why do you say that? What happened?"

"You remember that serial rapist that killed those girls at the mall in Aberdeen?"

"Yeah, we talked about that…"

"They found another body dump today. The state police found four more victims, all teenaged girls between fifteen and eighteen."

"My god! That's horrible!"

"I don't want to get a phone call asking me to come identify your body, Bella. I was sick with worry the whole time you were gone. Please promise me you'll call and tell me where you are. I couldn't handle having to do that."

"I'm so sorry, dad. I promise, I'll stay safe, and I'll call next time."

"Alright. I just get so worried when you go off with Alice like that… I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

"Alice is safe, dad. She's not going to hurt me."

"How do you know that? How much has she told you?"

"What do you mean? Alice hasn't told me anything. I know you don't trust the Cullens, but Alice would never do anything to hurt me. She's my best friend."

"You don't know what she's capable of…, and I though Sara was your best friend? You hang out with her whenever you aren't at work."

"Sara and I are close too, but I have more in common with Alice…"

"God, I hope not…!"

"Why do you get like that? Alice is my friend, dad, and nothing is going to change that."

"I just worry about you, Bella. You're my daughter and my only child. It scares me to see you get so close to Alice."

"Jeez, you act like she's the serial killer in her spare time. She's not the one hiding bodies in back rooms, dad."

"Do you know that for sure? There's more going on here than you know about."

"God, how can you even say that?"

"There are things you don't know about Alice and the Cullens…"

"Then don't treat me like a child, dad. If you want me to accept your opinion, treat me like an adult and explain it to me so I understand."

"I'm trying to protect you. I don't want to have to tell you why. There are things in this world that you shouldn't have to deal with. That's my job. Can't you just accept it as a fact when I tell you that the Cullens are dangerous?"

"I'm sorry, dad, but no. I can't accept that. I won't accept that, and nothing you can tell me is going to stop me from being friends with Alice."

"Fine. At least you're home safe. You better get some sleep now before you have to get up for school."

"Ok, good night, dad."

"Good night, Bella. You know I love you, and I only want to keep you safe, right?"

"I love you too, dad. I really am glad I came here to live with you. I'm glad we have this time to spend together."

I got up and gave Charlie a hug, and he hugged me back. It didn't really spoil the mood when I caught him studying my neck for bite marks as I started to pull away.

"Hold it right there, Miss!" he said as he reached his finger into the collar of my t-shirt and pulled it aside just enough to expose the mark on my neck. "Denny's in Aberdeen, huh?"

"I have the receipt in my purse if you want to see it?"

"This is fresh. It wasn't there at breakfast. How did it get there?"

"I think you know how it got there…"

"Alright. Who put it there? You said you were out with Alice tonight…"

"It was a boy, dad. I don't make out with girls."

"You said I could meet whoever you were going to go out with before you went on a date with them."

"You've met him before."

"Do I get to know the name of this boy that thinks he can leave marks on my daughter?"

"No…" I could see Charlie getting ready to argue, but I spoke first. "If I decide to let him take me out on a real date, then I'll let you know, and you can do the whole third degree thing, ok? I didn't plan what happened tonight. It just sort of happened, ok?"

"Fine, but I don't like you sneaking around behind my back. I told you, you could date. I just want to know who you're with and where you are. I'm not going to get in your way, but I'm still your father, and it's my responsibility to keep you safe. Hopefully I can try and help you to not make any huge mistakes or get into too much trouble. I'd appreciate a little help with that, Bella."

"Ok, dad."

"Fine. I don't like this, Bella. I thought we had an agreement."

"I'm sorry, dad. I want to try and follow your rules, but this is different. I know you'll be mad, but I think this is special. I like this boy…"

"Alright. Well, get some sleep. It looks like we've both had a long night."

I nodded and got up off the couch. I couldn't look at Charlie as I turned to walk to the stairs.

"We're going to talk about this again, Bella. I thought I could trust you."

"You can, dad. I'm being careful…"

"There's more to making good decisions than just taking precautions. Did you need to be carful…?"

"No… not yet…"

Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Ok. Good night, Bells. I'll see you in the morning.

I nodded, and grabbed my bag as I went up the stairs to my room. I knew I wasn't going to sleep. I had phone calls to make.

**Author's note:**

**Ok, I was planning on posting this last week, but FF was giving me fits, and wouldn't let me update any of my stories. I'm still not completely sure what was causing it, but I changed ISP's today, and I could get in to post this. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please click on the link below, and let me know.**


	15. Chapter 15 The L Word

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rat****ing**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

**Warning:** This chapter contains lemons and graphic descriptions of kinky sex play. If you don't want to deal with that, don't read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 15 The L Word

I changed my clothes again for the third time in less than an hour after I got done talking to Charlie. I'd already had a shower, but I brushed my teeth before changing into my pajamas. I knew I wasn't going to sleep, but I wanted to look like I was if I had to pretend to be asleep for Charlie's benefit.

I had to be up and getting ready for school in another four hours anyhow, so I didn't see any point in trying to sleep for the rest of what was left of the night. I was too keyed up and excited to sleep anyhow, even if I did turn off the feedback loop that was keeping me wide awake.

I went to my room and turned off the light. I got into bed in case Charlie decided to check on me, and then I reached for my cell phone and called Edward. I had another call I wanted to make, but I had at least another three and a half hours to wait before I could make that call.

It was much easier to carry on a conversation with Edward when we talked on the phone. We weren't distracted by our hands roaming all over each others bodies, and it was hard to speak when our lips were busy with other activities that were much more pleasurable than simple conversation.

I talked to Edward until the early morning and the night gave way and started to lighten into dawn. I was watching the clock, and I knew it was late enough for me to make the other call I needed to make.

"I need to start getting ready for school now, Edward. I'll see you in a while, ok?"

"Certainly, love. Are you sure you're alright? I don't sleep, and I've kept you up all night again. How will you be able to function? You should have at least tried to sleep…"

Edward didn't know I was using the feedback loop to stay awake. Alice knew, but she'd kept it from Edward, and I hadn't said anything. I'd mentioned Sara doing something like this to stay awake, and although I hadn't asked any direct questions about it during our conversation, I'd gotten the impression that it was something he considered to be dangerous. I'd changed the subject and made a mental note to ask Sara about it the next time we had some time alone to talk. I honestly didn't see that happening until at least Wednesday afternoon, though.

"I'll be fine. I'll make do. You can bring me another coffee if you like. I really enjoyed that yesterday."

"Ok. I'll be waiting when Angela drops you off. I wish you'd allow me to drive you to school. I could take you to breakfast…"

"And then you'd have to eat it with me. You're getting off easy."

"I wouldn't mind if I got to spend more time with you…"

"We talked about that. Charlie would freak out if you showed up here to pick me up. I know we need to let him see more of you, but we need to work up to that, ok?"

"Fine. Get dressed now and I'll see you at school. Good bye, Bella."

"Bye, Edward," and I pressed the end button to hang up.

I knew I needed to make the next call but I had been dreading it. I felt enough time had gone by, and I needed advice. Advice I could only get from one person…

I scrolled through my contacts, and then speed dialed the number. The phone started to ring and I waited to see how close I was to matching her schedule. Her morning routine didn't change as much as the other details of her life. It was the one consistency in my old life that I could count on. She should be back from her run and having her coffee by now. The call connected after five or six rings.

"_Hello?_"

"Hi Renee…" I hadn't spoken to my mother since that Friday morning when she drove me to the airport and put me on a plane to go live with my dad.

"_Oh… Good morning, Isabel. So are you speaking to me again?_"

"I'm using Bella now. I needed a change. You know I don't stay mad. I thought we should talk."

"_Ok._ _Charlie always wanted to call you Bella when you were a baby but I wouldn't allow it. You'll always be Isabel to me. Charlie says you're making friends and fitting in… You know I'm not ready to let you come home yet…_"

"This is home now…" and it was.

I had grown up in Phoenix, and lived there for twelve years, but it wasn't home anymore. Forks was home now. I had a sneaking suspicion that this realization had more to do with a certain relationship than simply fitting in for the first time in my life or the other friendships I'd made.

"_Charlie says you like it there and you're getting your grades back on track. It sounds like the change has done you good. So you're going to school again, and you have a job?_"

"Yeah, I'm working at a camping supply and sporting goods store here in Forks, if you can believe that."

"_A sporting goods store?_" Renee chuckled. "_That's hard to picture. Do you even know what you're selling?_"

"It's not that hard. It's just basic retail. Like Karen says, most of the guys that come in all think they're experts anyhow."

"_Yeah, I can see that. So, I haven't gotten a medical update since you've been there. Is everything ok? I figured you would have been to the emergency room at least once by now._"

"I think I'm growing out of my clumsy phase, Renee. I haven't had an accident since I moved here, and I'm actually doing good in P.E. at school for the first time in my life."

"_That's right, Forks requires four years of gym class. I'd forgotten about that. You're doing ok?_"

"Well, actually the girl's gym coach wants me to go out for the softball team this spring. A couple of my girlfriends play on the team, and they're trying to talk me into trying out."

"_You? Play softball? Is that even safe? You still have to swing a bat, right? And that ball isn't soft, no matter what they call it. Are you going to do it?_"

"I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about it. The season doesn't start until March, but they start practices next month."

"_What does Charlie think?_"

"I haven't talked to him about it yet…"

"_Well, you should. He knows about sports and things like that. If he thinks you can do it, I think it would be good for you._"

"You do?"

"_Yes, I do. Don't sound so shocked. You need to try more new things, Isabel. That's how you find out what you're good at and what you like._"

"I'll think about it… Actually, Renee, I called to talk to you about something else. I've met someone special…"

"_Charlie said you were dating some boy. I thought it was over. You're being careful, right?_"

"God, do you guy's talk about everything? When do you find the time? I never saw you on the phone with Charlie when I lived with you, but he knows my whole life story, and you know every move I've made since you threw me out!"

"_I didn't throw you out… You had a choice._"

"Some choice, Renee!" I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths to calm down, and then continued in a calmer voice. "…Ok, I didn't call you to argue about that. It's over. Let's move on."

"_You're important to us, and we care about you, Isabel. Besides, you spend most of your day in school when you go, and you aren't with us every waking moment. We talk about the important things. Now tell me about this boy. You didn't answer my question._"

"Yes, I'm being careful. Umm… I still haven't needed to be careful yet…"

"_Ok, but you're still on the pill, right?_"

"Yes. I had to get Charlie to sign a parental consent form so I could renew my prescription at the Pharmacy… I had Charlie pick up my prescription for me…"

"_Oh my god…_" Renee laughed out loud. "_You didn't…_" she said as she tried to catch her breath, she was laughing so hard. "_That had to be a switch for him. That's really putting the shoe on the other foot. You know, he kept throwing my pills away when we were dating before we got married._"

"You knew about that?"

"_He tried to be sneaky about it, but I knew. He was trying so hard to get me pregnant. I think I had more sex during those months than I have during any other time in my life. Every time we were together he was trying to get into my pants. Sometimes it was couple of times a day. It was fun while it lasted._"

"Ewww… Renee! I don't want to hear about that!"

"_Why? I got you out of the deal, and I don't regret it. I don't really see how I screwed up though. I made him use condoms, and we only slipped up a couple of times. I was pretty good at keeping track of my dates, and the odds were against me getting pregnant the couple of times we didn't use one._"

"Umm… He rigged'em Renee. He poked holes in them with a needle so you thought you were safe."

"_Why that dirty son of a bitch! Oh well, what's done is done. It was seventeen years ago, its water under the bridge now._"

"You're just gonna let it go?"

"_I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind! But what else am I supposed to do, hate him? I could never do that, Isabel. I still care for Charlie, even if we aren't together anymore._"

"I may have a forgiving nature but I don't think even I'd be able to just let something like that slide…"

"_We'd talked about having kids, Isabel. I wanted to have Charlie's babies. I loved him and I wanted to be with him. I just wanted to wait until we were out of Forks. He jumped the gun because he thought it would make me stay with him. I knew what he was trying to do. I don't hold it against him. I got you. I wouldn't change that for the world."_

"I've never understood that, Renee… You told me you loved Charlie, but we still left. How could you love him and still call it quits?"

"_That's just how love works sometimes, Isabel. There were sacrifices I wasn't willing to make. I needed to leave Forks more than I wanted Charlie. He made promises that he couldn't live up to. He wouldn't come with us. It's not like I didn't ask him too._ _I wanted a different life and it ended up being the two of us living it instead of the three of us._"

"Wasn't that kind of selfish? You knew he couldn't leave his parents behind. Grandma and Grandpa Swan needed him to take care of them."

"_I knew about his parents, but I couldn't stay in Forks, Isabel. He knew what was going on when he promised me we would leave together. Maybe someday I'll be able explain why to you, but it's not something I can talk about on the phone. Now tell me about this special boy you've met. Charlie said you broke up. Is it serious?_"

"I'm not dating Mike anymore. I've met somebody else, and yes I think so, Renee. It's pretty serious. I think I'm ready to say yes. How did you know Charlie was the one?"

"_I just knew. It's something you have to experience to understand. Now tell me how you feel. What's special about this boy?_"

Neither of my parents was stupid, but if I had to be honest, I knew I got my brains from my mother. She might have made the mistake of getting pregnant while she was still a senior in high school, but she still graduated with honors. We lived with my grandparents for a while after we left Charlie, but she managed to get her bachelors degree in three years while raising me and holding down a part time job.

It surprised me that she hadn't done more with her life, but she seemed content to be a kindergarten teacher. Part of that might have may have resulted from her inability to stay focused on any one project for any length of time. In some ways she was a lot like the kids she taught, and it was easy for her to relate to them. Something had happened when I was very little that had made her lose that diamond focus that had driven her when she was younger. It had left her a little flighty and irresponsible but she was still very smart.

Renee had always jumped from hobby to hobby for as long as I could remember. She'd start something and stick with it for a couple of days or a week, rarely longer, and then suddenly lose interest. She was constantly forgetting appointments or when to pay bills. She'd meet people, and then forget their names when she saw them a day or two later like she hadn't seen them for years. She struggled to remember where she had put things away around the house, and was constantly asking me where she had left things.

She was intelligent and intuitive, but her short range memory sucked, and she had difficulty focusing on the daily details a lot of the time. Regardless, she was good at big picture stuff and dealing with long term issues. She could see the forest, although she often ignored to individual trees, and I knew she'd offer me honest factual advice without being too judgmental.

"I don't know… I just get this warm fuzzy feeling inside when we're together. It's almost like I'm high just being with him. I have this almost irresistible urge to touch him, and I need him to touch me even more. It's electric when he does touch me, and just holding his hand is incredible. It's like we shoot sparks when we're together… I get goose bumps, and when he kisses me it's like there's fireworks going off inside my head… Ok, I know that all sounds silly and stupid but I just need to be with him…"

"_You're in love, Isabel. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's mostly physical at this stage of the game. What you're feeling is a million years of evolution dumping estrogen and testosterone into your system telling you it's time to make babies. Romantic love or lust is driven by your hormones. __You feel infatuated in this stage of love._"

"It's not just an infatuation… What I feel for him is real…"

"_I didn't say it wasn't real love. It's very real, and it sets the stage for a deeper emotional commitment. You just need to keep your head in the game and let your intelligence control your actions instead of how your body is reacting to him." _

"Ok…"

"_You'll feel this way about a lot of boys as you grow up and mature, and when you find the right one, hopefully you'll be ready to let these feelings grow into something deeper..._"

"What if this is the right one, Renee? Maybe I want to make that deeper emotional commitment…"

"_It's natural to feel like that. You're in love with him, but you know these things don't last at your age. Have some fun, Isabel. Play the field. Just be honest with your feelings and his, but be true to yourself._"

"What about Charlie? He was your first, and you married him. You had a baby with him. You said you still love him, Renee."

"_I had to learn the hard way. I'm offering you the benefit of my experience if you'll accept it. Right now your brain is soaked with endorphins and you're immersed in intense pleasurable sensations. That's what happens when you fall in love. Let me guess, this boy is perfect, ideal, made for you. He can do no wrong, and you'll willingly accept any flaws he might have._"

"Ok, there might be a little of that going on…"

"_That's what I thought._"

"So how do I know if he's the one then? You make it sound like this is just the way my body is reacting to him…"

"_There's nothing wrong with that. You're so much like Charlie when it comes to your emotions. I know you can be a little closed off and it's hard for you to put yourself out there. You have to be honest and authentic with yourself and your lover, Isabel. It's ok to be physical as long as you take precautions, but you need to focus on emotional intimacy in all of the stages of love. You need to allow yourself to be vulnerable to have a healthy love life._"

"So you're saying I should tell him yes?"

"_If you feel you're ready for that step, then ok. You're a healthy young woman, and there's no reason why you shouldn't have a healthy sex life. If you feel a connection to this boy, then maybe he'll be your first lover as long as you're careful. This is something you're going to have to experiment with to see how far you want to go and what you're willing to do._"

"I've done a lot already."

"_Well, you said you kissed him. How much more? Have you let him touch you? I know you kids are into a lot of sex play and consider oral sex ok for dating. That needs to work both ways. Does he go down on you?_"

"Renee! …Alright, umm… all of that… He touched me…" I gave a heavy sigh and just said it in a rush. "He put his finger in my ass… and I kind of liked it."

"_Huh… all that and you're still a virgin? Maybe this boy is special. I never really got into anal. Tried it once or twice, but it wasn't my thing. Make sure you use a condom if you let him do that._"

"I don't plan on letting him. He respects my limits, and stops when I tell him no."

"_That's a good sign. So you guys have talked about what's allowed and what isn't?"_

"Sort of…" I thought about last night when Edward was asking me those questions, and I felt the growing dampness between my thighs as a delicious thrill ran through my core.

"_I've noticed you tend to say no a lot, and then go ahead and do it anyhow. He knows no means no, right?_"

"Some of that's my fault. I need to mean no when I say no."

"_Yes, you don't want to send any mixed signals about something as important as that. So does this help you, Isabel? I know love can be frightening and confusing, but really you just need to follow your heart. It's your best guide as long as you use your head too._"

"Yes, this helps, but I have another question."

"_Alright._"

"Gramps didn't like Charlie when you guys started dating…"

"_Why do you say that?_"

"It's just the impression I got. I was talking to Charlie when I first got here, and we talked about me dating. I told him he didn't get a say in who I dated and I'd decide who I spent time with or not…"

Renee laughed again. "_Well, I guess the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. I told your Gramps pretty much the same thing when I was your age. Charlie wasn't exactly his favorite person in the world… He ran him off with his shotgun the first time he came to our door to ask for me._"

"Oh…! It was that bad?"

"_He shot the window out of the back of his pickup truck, and flattened one of the tires, but he got away…_"

"Oh my god! Why did he do that?"

"_He caught us together before he knew we were dating._ _He got over it. What did you want to ask me?_"

"Charlie doesn't like this boy I like…"

"_If you're in love with him, it's alright to say it, Isabel._"

"Ok… Charlie doesn't like this boy I'm in love with. He hates him Renee… He told me to stay away from him. That he's dangerous…"

"_Is he?_"

"Maybe a little... Not to me…"

"_And you're not going to let that stop you, are you?_"

"No. I love him, Renee. I don't want to sneak around behind Charlie's back. Look where that got us. I don't know what to do…"

"_I had a feeling it was something like that when you never said his name. You're afraid I'll tell Charlie._"

"I'm sorry, but you guys talk. If Charlie knew how I felt, he'd lock me in my room and nail the door shut."

"_And would that stop you?_"

"No…"

"_It didn't stop me either…_" Renee sighed. "_You were on the right track when you got there, Isabel. You shouldn't have to sneak around. You know what you have to do._"

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"_If you love him, you're going to have to talk to Charlie and explain to him what's going on. You're going to have to tell him how you feel. If you want this boy, and he's worth it, then you're going to have to make your father understand._"

"Ok."

"_Do you want me to talk to Charlie…?_"

"NO! I mean… I'd prefer he didn't know we had this conversation. It's ok if you tell him we spoke, but I'd really prefer he didn't know about what. Ok?"

"_Alright, Isabel. So, you're going to talk to Charlie?_"

"Yes…"

"_Don't put it off too long. This is something you need to do soon or it'll just be worse. If you let it go, you'll have to do things that you'll regret later if you try to keep it a secret. It'll only hurt you and this boy, and make it that much harder for your father to accept when he finds out how long you've been hiding it from him._"

"I know... Thanks, Renee. I love you, mom. I have to get ready for school now."

"_I love you too, Isabel. I miss our talks over coffee in the morning. Call me again soon, and let me know how this turns out, ok?_"

"Ok. Bye, Renee," and I pressed the end button.

I got up and went down to the bathroom to start my morning routine then. It was still earlier than I usually got up in the morning, despite what I had told Edward and Renee on the phone, and I took the extra time to do some of the little extra things. I shaved my legs and armpits in the shower and trimmed so everything was neat and tidy.

There was no way I was going to forget my pill after talking to Renee this morning, and then I brushed my teeth and went back down to my room to get dressed.

Today felt special for some reason, and I dressed up a little more than I usually did for school. Angela, Haley and Sara wore dresses everyday, and Michaela did too, as often as not. I decided to just go for it and picked out some of the lingerie Alice had bought for me. I might be willing to wear a skirt to school, but it was still in the forties and fifties outside, and I wasn't ready to freeze just to look nice. I took Edward's advice, and wore my panties over the garter belt suspender straps so it wouldn't be a major production to go to the ladies room.

I picked out a nice full tan skirt that came almost to my knees and swirled and swished pleasantly when I moved. I found a royal blue turtle neck sweater in my dresser drawer and made sure the collar covered all of the evidence of my adventure last night. Charlie didn't need a reminder, and Jessica wasn't the only gossip in school that could start rumors. It wouldn't be an issue until I went to gym. At least that was the last period of the day.

I spent some time doing my hair and makeup, and then picked out a pair of closed toed heels that weren't too terribly high. One of the advantages of using my new skills to not fall down was that I could keep my feet dry and wear whatever shoes I wanted to now. Besides, the heels wouldn't kill my feet and calves because I wasn't really putting all of my weight on my feet all day or actually walking all the time anymore.

I collected my cell phone and purse, and grabbed my bag for school and went down to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before Angela came to pick me up.

"Wow!" Charlie exclaimed when I walked into the kitchen. "Isn't that a little dressy for school? You almost never wear dresses unless you're going out. You used to just throw on some jeans and a t-shirt before you went shopping with Alice Cullen. Or are you dressing up to meet somebody special today? You are going to school, right?"

"Yes, I'm going to school. Angela and Haley dress like this everyday. Sara has her own style, but she wears dresses all the time too. Maybe it's rubbing off on me." I said as I got my coffee and then sat down at the table.

"Huh, I suppose. So you're talking to your mother again? That's good Bella."

"Were you eavesdropping? She couldn't have called you already! That was a private conversation!"

"I didn't listen to what you two talked about. I respect your privacy as much as I can, but I knew who you were talking to before I came downstairs. Do you always call your mother by her first name?"

"She prefers it that way. She wants to be friends as well as being my parent. I don't object most of the time, but sometimes she feels the need to share things that should maybe be a little more private."

"Hey, I understand perfectly. I was married to her. She has no reservations about speaking her mind."

"She might be giving you a call soon, dad…"

"Why, what did you two talk about?"

"She told me she knew about the birth control pills, and I may have mentioned how you rigged the condoms…"

"Bella! You told her that?"

"Sorry, dad, she seemed to accept it, if that makes it any easier…"

"It's not your fault. I'll deal with it. I guess it's something we should have talked about a long time ago."

"I'm sorry… I should have kept my mouth shut, but I was startled. I didn't think she knew."

"Fine. There'll be hell to pay, but we'll work it out."

"So there was something I wanted to talk to you about…"

"What, she wasn't pissed off about me going easy on you, was she?"

"No… That didn't come up. Was she? Mad that you were cutting me so much slack?"

"At first, but I told her my way was working. I thought it was until last night."

"It is. I'm being good. Well, I'm not doing the things I was when I lived in Phoenix. I'm finding my way and trying to make better choices."

"That's good, Bella. So what did you want to ask me?"

"Ok, don't laugh… Coach Newhouse talked to me yesterday after gym… She wants me to tryout for the softball team…"

I don't know, maybe the idea of me playing a sport was just too ridiculous to consider. Charlie couldn't help himself, and he laughed out loud before he could stifle his guffaws.

"I told you not to laugh! Fine, maybe it is too crazy an idea to consider." I said in a huff, mad, and started to get up from the table.

He placed his hand on my arm to stop me, and said, "Wait, Bells. I'm sorry. That just caught me off guard. You've never shown any interest in even watching any sports, let alone playing any. And lets be honest, you've never really shown any kind of aptitude for any sport. If anything, it would have probably been dangerous for you to go out for any kind of team sport."

"I told you I was out growing the clumsy phase. Would I be wearing these shoes to school if I thought I was gonna fall on my ass? There are stairs there, dad."

"No, I guess not. I was really expecting to have visited the emergency room at least once by now. So the Coach really talked to you?"

"Yeah… She said she was holding a pitching clinic in a couple of weeks, but I don't really know what that even means…"

"A pitching clinic? Really…? She said that?"

"She said she'd get me signed up if I was interested. Practice starts next month, and the season starts in March."

Charlie was nodding as though these dates were an obvious fact of nature. "So are you interested?"

"Maybe a little... Renee says I should try new things, and Sara seems to think it's a good idea… I don't even know how to catch a ball or all of the rules, dad."

"I can help you with that if you want to give this a shot. I'm curious, why did the Coach decide to talk to you about pitching? Did something happen in gym?"

"Umm… Kind of…" I said as I felt my cheeks darken in a blush. "Alright, you'll probably hear about it around town anyhow. We were playing dodge ball in gym, and I was kinda' mad at Jessica Stanley. I may have knocked her down a couple of times."

"Bella!"

"What? She didn't even have to go to the nurse, and I don't think that mark on her face was going to leave a bruise… You're supposed to throw the ball at people. That's how you play the game…"

"Alright. You really knocked her down playing dodge ball?"

"Only a couple of times… I was trying to take it easy so I wouldn't hurt anyone…"

"Wow! Ok, well maybe you will do ok then."

"Alright, so if I do this, what kind of stuff will I need to get started? We've been putting out a lot of baseball equipment and merchandise to get ready for the season at work."

"You'll need a Softball Glove. That's the big padded leather glove that you use to catch the ball. If you're right handed, you wear it on your left hand so you have your right hand free to throw. Most pitchers prefer a glove with a closed web so they can hide the ball to adjust their grip before making their next throw."

"Why would you want to change how you hold the ball?"

"That's how you change how you throw the ball. The way you grip the ball and throw it changes how fast you throw it and how it flies. Sometimes you might want to throw a fast ball or sometimes a curve ball…"

"So kind of like bowling where the ball doesn't just roll straight, but curves into the pocket depending on where you stand?"

"Yeah, kind of like that, only you do that in baseball and softball by changing how you hold the ball."

"Ok, so the web is that leather part on the glove between the thumb and fingers… Oh, I get it. You want a closed web so they don't see your hand and how you're holding the ball. If they could see, they could guess what kind of pitch you were going to throw."

"Exactly, that's good, Bells."

"Ok, so what else?"

"Well, when you start practicing outside, you'll need some cleats. Those are the shoes with the spikes on the bottom to give you more traction when you're running and throwing. The molded plastic cleats should be fine. I don't think they even allow metal cleats to be used in softball. You regular gym shoes should be fine while you're still indoors. The school should provide everything else you'll need."

"Really, that's it? We have a whole section with all kinds of different equipment and odds and ends at work. I don't even know what most of them are, but I thought there'd be more to it."

"Well, like most sports, there are a lot of different accessories that you can pick up to help or train with. Some players like to wear a special glove when they bat, and some people like to use their own bat because they're used to it."

"So you can use your own stuff too then… If you want to…"

"Yeah, you can buy balls, and bats, and pitching nets, and other things to train on your own. Some players wear sliding shorts under their uniforms…

"Sliding shorts…?"

"Yeah… They're kind of like padded long underwear that some players wear, so they don't get bruised or scraped up when they slide to steal bases… You're really gonna learn how to play softball?"

"Yeah… That's the plan… Will I need sliding shorts, too?"

"You should talk to your Coach, and see what she says, but all you really need to play is a ball glove and your shoes."

Angela's horn honking out in front of the house startled both of us, and I looked up at the clock. I'd lost track of time, and I had to leave. It was a good thing Charlie was the Chief. He was usually gone by now and he was going to be late.

"I've gotta go dad. It was good talking about this. I think I'll give it a try, and see if I like it." I said as I got up and picked up my things. "I'm sure you'll have some paperwork to sign for this…"

"That's fine, Bells. Just bring it home, and we'll get you signed up. If you want this I can help you with it."

"Thanks, dad. I'll see you after work, Bye."

I hurried to the coat closet by the front door and grabbed my long coat. I shrugged into it, and then hurried out to get into the passenger seat in Angela's car.

"Morning, Bella. You look nice today. I told you you'd end up wearing dresses to school."

"I felt like it was time for a change of pace. Sorry I'm late, Ang. I was talking to my dad and lost track of time."

"It's ok. I didn't wait long. I had a hard time getting going today. It was a late night last night. Forks won the game, but it went into overtime."

"Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that… If anybody asks, could you tell them I was at the game with you guys last night?"

"Ok… Who might ask? There were a lot of kids from Forks there last night…"

"I told my dad I went to the basketball game last night."

"Alright. If you don't mind my asking, what did you do last night?"

"I went out with Alice and Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock again. We had dinner and saw a band at a club in Aberdeen."

"Huh, maybe Ben and I should have gone with you guys. It sounds like you had more fun than we did."

"Maybe we can all go out together some time. That would be fun."

"Yeah. Maybe we will. So why do you think your dad might talk to me?"

"Umm… Well I didn't get home until about two-thirty in the morning. He saw you drive past when you got home, but I was still out."

"Oh… It's a good thing I didn't go straight home then." Angela said, blushing now.

"You didn't?"

"No, Ben and I parked before I dropped him off. If I had gone straight home, your dad would have known something was up for sure. You know, Bella, if you ever need an alibi, you can just tell your dad that you're sleeping over at my house. Haley or Michaela will cover for you too. They have for me when I needed an excuse to be with Ben."

"Thanks, Ang, that might come in handy real soon."

"No problem, Bella. We all look out for each other. So, you and Edward are getting close?"

"I really like him, Ang."

"How much? You weren't watching a band until two-thirty in the morning…"

"We may have shared some private time alone together…"

We were pulling into Haley's driveway as I spoke, and she came running down to the car and got in.

"God, you guys took forever to get here this morning!"

"Sorry, Haley, I was talking to my dad before Angela got there, and I lost track of time."

"Oh! So did you ask him? Are you going to go out for the team?"

"Fine, I didn't have to ask him, but we talked about it. I think I'm going to give it a try and see if I like it…"

"That's great, Bella! Don't worry; you'll pick it up fast! We're going to have so much fun this season!

Haley was still gushing about the upcoming softball season when we pulled up in front of Sara's house. Sara floated down to the car and got into the back seat with Haley.

"You told her yes, didn't you?" Sara commented when Haley slowed down to take a breath.

"Yeah, I talked to my mother on the phone, and she thought it was a good idea to try something new."

"You're speaking to your mother now?" Sara asked. "I thought you were still mad at her?"

"I don't stay mad. I wanted her advice. We might not see eye to eye all the time, but she does have more years of experience than me, and she's never steered me wrong."

"It's nice that you have a close relationship with your mother." Angela said.

"You're lucky to have a mother to go to for advice," Sara said a little bitterly, and I regretted bringing up the subject.

"I'm sorry, Sara…"

"It's ok, Bella. Don't sweat it. I can deal." I nodded, and then Sara went on, "So how was your date with Edward last night?"

"You went out with Edward Cullen two nights in a row?" Haley asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Yeah…? It was fun. We went to some clubs in Aberdeen."

"Which clubs?" Sara asked. "May I see?"

I nodded and reached my hand back over the seat to her. I was getting better at this and could edit what I wanted to show her now. She touched her finger tip to the center of my palm, and I dropped my shield and let her see a carefully edited version of last night's events. She didn't need to be privy to our intimate conversations or see all the details of my private alone time with Edward but there was enough there to give her an Idea of what we'd done.

"So, can I see it?" She asked when she finished watching my memories.

"See what?" I asked.

"You know what. Everyone will see it when you go to gym, anyhow."

Shit. I left that much in? Maybe she could see more than I gave her credit for. I thought I'd edited that out.

"Fine." I turned toward her and sat up straighter as I reached into my collar and pulled it down so she could see my hickey.

"Damn, Bella. So you and Edward are a little more than friends now?" Haley asked.

"We're friends… That's what I wanted. He said we could be more if I liked. We need to talk about that still." I fixed the collar of my sweater to make sure it was in place as I talked to her.

"Wow, Edward Cullen usually doesn't go out with any one girl more than a couple of times. Do you think he'll ask you out again?"

"I think so. I like Edward, and I think he likes me too…"

"I think you're right," Angela said as we pulled into the lot and parked. "He's waiting for you again."

I turned around to look, and Edward was standing on the sidewalk in front of the curb, but he wasn't alone this time. Alice and Jasper were with him, and his huge brother Emmett had joined the group. I didn't see Rosalie anywhere, and wondered what was going on.

We got out of the car and started to walk up to them and then Edward startled me speechless.

"Sara, I was wondering if you could join us for a moment," Edward said to her as she turned to walk into the school with Angela. I was a little surprised that Haley had stayed with me to meet the Cullens, but I was too shocked to wonder why.

"Go on, Ang, I'll catch up in a minute…" Sara said, Angela nodded and walked away.

"What, so you're speaking to me again?" Sara said, turning to address Edward. "I thought you were going to ignore the fact that I existed?"

"We require your assistance for a moment."

Haley, Sara and I approached the group of Cullens standing on the sidewalk, and then Alice handed me my cup of coffee. I hardly noticed it as I stood there in shock on the sidewalk.

"What's going on, Edward?" I asked as I stared at his perfect form. He wouldn't meet my gaze and hardly spared a glance at me as he ignored me and spoke to Sara.

Was this the moment I had feared? Had I been an idiot to trust him? Was I just another girl that he had dated and then discarded? Had he said all those things to all the other girls he'd gone out with? The only difference was that I remembered everything. Were they the lucky ones because he could make them forget? Maybe it was a good thing I had told him no last night. This could be so much worse.

I felt anguish sweep through me as pain ripped through my chest and I felt my heart shredding into tiny pieces. I had been a fool. I knew his track record and still I had let him in. I had given him my heart, and he was tearing it out.

Haley stopped in front of Emmett's massive bulk and looked up at him as I stood there rooted to the sidewalk, wallowing in my anguish. They were having their own conversation as I waited for Edward to answer me and he ignored the fact that I even existed.

"Hey, Emmett, so Rosalie let you off the leash? You usually spend all your time with her…" Haley asked.

"Hey there, fireball, you're still my little comet, aren't you? I was wondering if you want to get together some time… You haven't been online. I missed you in the raid group the last couple of nights…"

"I thought we needed some space… I started a new toon on another server… I thought maybe I'd transfer if I could find a good guild…"

"No way, Haley! We're friends, and the guild needs you. I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to leave, but things we're getting weird…"

"It's Rosie, right? I'll talk to her, ok?"

"It's not just Rosalie… You know what happened…"

"Fine… But you're staying right? We're still friends…?"

"If it's ok… What will your girlfriend say?"

"Rosie's not into gaming. She knows we're friends."

"She doesn't mind you having other girls as friends?"

"As long as we're just friends…"

"That's up to you, Emmett… You know I won't come between you and Rosalie…"

"Fine, can we at least do lunch sometime or something?"

"Maybe… As long as it's just as friends… I'm pretty busy with work and school, and I'll have practice soon too."

"That's right, softball seasons starting soon. You know I never miss a game…"

I was going to have to talk to Haley about this some more, but only a tiny portion of my attention was focused on the two of them and their conversation as Sara stopped in front of Edward and looked up into his eyes.

"What could you possibly need from me Edward?" Sara asked as she stood in front of him and he looked only at her as he refused to acknowledge the fact that I even existed. The pain of rejection swept through me only to be rapidly replaced by a numbness that froze me in place on the sidewalk.

"We require a distraction." Edward said. "We are currently under surveillance," and his head nodded infinitesimally toward the parking lot across the street. "Will you accompany me into the school until we are out of sight?"

My body was frozen in place, but my eyes flicked up to glance in the direction Edward had indicated, and then suddenly everything fell into place. There was a Forks police cruiser parked in the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church across the street. I'd recognize that cruiser anywhere. It was usually parked in the drive way out in front of my house. I looked away before Charlie could tell I was looking in his direction or was aware that he had followed us to school.

The pain suddenly evaporated only to be replaced by a profound sense of embarrassment as I realized what was going on. I was still a fool but for a different set of reasons than I had initially assumed. We had only been separated for a few short hours, and it was so easy for me to doubt his intentions. How many times had Edward told me his intentions were honorable…? But I had failed to give him the benefit of the doubt. I had automatically assumed the worst. Where was the trust I had felt when we were together last night?

Edward was simply trying to fulfill my desire that Charlie not find out about us, and here we were sneaking around trying to keep my father from finding out about us. This was exactly the kind of situation Renee had warned me about. I knew I had to put a stop to this if we were going to have any kind of chance to make this relationship work. Edward was willing to make sacrifices for me to do what he thought was necessary to fulfill my desires. It was up to me to overcome my fears and face Charlie so we could be together.

Then they were moving away before I could react as I stood there and numbly watched the scene play out in front of me. My teeth ground together, and jealousy flashed through me as Edward reached for Sara's hand. I saw her eyes flick back to look at me, and I gave a small nod. She didn't acknowledge it, but she reached out and took the hand Edward offered her. They turned and started to walk into the school building like they were the ones that were together and a couple.

Alice was beside me, and hooked her arm around my elbow to guide me along before I could do something stupid. We followed them away from the parking lot to the school building. I was hardly aware we were moving and I doubted my feet moved enough to look like I was walking as I let Alice pull me along.

"Breathe, Bella. This will be over in a second," Alice said.

I nodded, as I let her lead me toward the school building and Alice glanced at Jasper with a worried look on her face. Suddenly, my mood seemed to improve. An idyllic calm started to spread through my body as we moved through the doors into the school. I realized almost instantly what was happening.

Jasper had to be doing something to try and make me feel better. I glared at him briefly, and saw the slightly sheepish expression he offered in return when he realized I had guessed what was happening. I didn't want to be wrapped in gauze or sedated to be able to handle this.

I felt my aura flex and push back. Jasper winced briefly at the unexpected shock of being stopped dead in his tracks, and then the idyllic calm shattered and all of the emotions I had been feeling came crashing back down on me. Jasper and I both staggered briefly, and only Alice's hand on my arm kept me from dropping to the floor under the weight of emotion.

"Let me help, Bella." Jasper whispered to me, but I gave short sharp shake of my head as I stared at Sara and Edward.

"No. I'm fine." I hissed back at him with too much venom in the short exchange. He didn't deserve that. He was just trying to help. Maybe it would be better if I just kept my mouth shut.

"So, does this mean I'm no longer being ignored?" Sara asked once we were in the hallway inside the building?

"You are important to Bella and she has extended her friendship to you." Edward dropped her hand as soon as they were out of sight of the parking lot when they stepped through the doorway. "I am willing to acknowledge your presence as a courtesy to her. Do not abuse the good fortune of your circumstances, and I'm willing to allow bygones to be bygones."

"How magnanimous of you. I assume this means you'll want to attend our training sessions now?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance in offering my critic of your training methods. I might be able to offer some insights into some of the finer points of technique."

"Fine, you can visit with us, but remember; I'm the teacher. You might be the boyfriend, but she's my apprentice."

"I would not presume to interfere in that relationship."

"Yes you would, but I won't let you. So, tomorrow after school then?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Sara glanced back at me and nodded sympathetically in my direction. "Sorry, Bella… I hope you're not mad… I was just trying to help. I'll see you in class, ok?"

I nodded to her, still unable to speak. I was afraid of what I'd say to her if I opened my mouth now. I understood in my head that she was only going along with the plan to help out, but I could still feel the jealousy eating at me as I watched her walk away.

Edward turned to look at me then and I knew he was seeing me now. He stepped in front of me, and I let him gather me into his arms.

"I am so sorry to have done this to you this morning, Bella. Alice didn't see Charlie's decision until it was too late. We didn't have time to call you and warn you."

"We need to talk, Edward…"

"There isn't time now, love. You'll be late for…"

"To hell with class. Where are we going, Alice?"

"Girls restroom at the end of the hall on the second floor. It'll be empty when you get there. Here," She handed me a key. I didn't bother telling her I didn't need it, and just slipped it into my pocket. "Lock the door. I'll have Haley tell Mrs. Jensen you're in the ladies room. Make it quick." Then Alice turned to Edward. "No funny business. Five minutes tops, got it?"

"Alice, I would never…"

Alice tapped her temple. "Don't give me that crap. Be good and get her to class or they'll call her father."

Edward nodded, and we were walking. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and held me close as we made our way down the hallway to the stairs in the middle of the building. He let go to hold my hand as we went up the stairs, and then pulled me close again as we went down the hall.

The hallway was pretty deserted by the time we reached the door. He glanced behind us to make sure nobody was watching, and then we both slipped inside together. Edward went to check the stalls to make sure we were alone as I used the key to lock the door.

Edward was leaning against the counter looking at me when I turned to face him.

"I'm so sorry, Edward…" I began.

"You're sorry? You have nothing to apologize for, Bella. This was entirely my fault for putting you through that…"

"Jasper controls emotions, right?"

"Yes…"

"So I'm assuming he's an empath and can read emotions too if he has the power to control them…"

"That's pretty quick. I knew you were highly intuitive, but that's a very intelligent observation."

"So he can read emotions and you can read him… You knew exactly what I was feeling and how I was reacting the whole time…"

"I am not going to hold your honest reactions against you when you're caught flat footed by surprise and something like that is dumped in your lap. You had an honest reaction to the events as they unfolded. We spent one night together, Bella, and I do have a rather sordid reputation. You picked up on the truth rather quickly when you realized your father was watching us."

"But I doubted you… After everything you told me… I thought I was just another one of those girls you date, and then cast aside after you've gotten what you wanted…"

"Well, I haven't gotten what I want from you yet…"

"Oh… and then you'll drop me like a hot rock when you have…?"

"Not likely, love. I want you, Bella Swan. I want all of you. Not simply what we can do together. I don't think I'll be able to let you go."

"I don't want you to let me go... How can you simply forgive me when you know what I was feeling?"

"You said relationships are built on trust. I guess I still have a long way to go to deserve yours. Besides, I know everything you were feeling. I have to admit, I rather enjoyed your jealousy when you saw me holding hands with Sara. What exactly does that imply, Ms. Swan?"

I felt the blush rise in cheeks, and I looked away. Edward wasn't going to have that, and he crossed the room to stand close in front of me. I felt his cool fingers caress my jaw, and then he was lifting my chin to gaze deeply into my eyes.

"I think you already know what it means…" I said quietly as I gazed deeply into his eyes.

"It doesn't mean anything until you say it."

"You know, I called my mother after I got off the phone with you this morning… I wanted her advice…"

"Am I going to like this? What pray tell, advice did your mother offer…?"

"She said I'm young and I should play the field… Have some fun, explore my options…"

"That's not all bad. I can be fun and there are a lot of things we haven't tried yet… But that's not what you called to ask her."

"No, it isn't. I called her to ask her about what I'm feeling…"

"And what are you feeling, Ms. Swan?"

"She told me what I already knew…" I said as I draped my arms on Edward's shoulders and played with the short hairs at the nape of his neck

"I already know too, but I want to hear you say it…" His arms snaked around my waist, pulling me close as my body molded to his.

"She told me I was in love." His face was mere inches from mine as I spoke, and I so wanted to pull his lips down to mine.

"Congratulations. Do I know this lucky fellow who has won your heart?"

"I'm in love with you, Edward Cullen." And then his lips were crashing onto mine.

Our lips met hungrily in our kiss as my tongue slipped into his mouth and swirled around his. It was slick and sweet and urgent as my tongue greedily teased and played at his. My fingers tangled in his hair as I cradled his head, and pulled him closer.

Edward's hands were moving on my body, caressing and exploring as they moved on my back and traced up and down my sides. I felt them drop lower, and then he was gripping my ass cheeks. He held me close as the hard bulge in the front of his pants ground into me, and then he was lifting me off my feet as my legs wrapped around his waist. He turned us around and stepped across the room.

I felt the hard counter under my ass as he lifted me onto it, and then his hands were sliding up my legs under my skirt. His hands slipped into the waist band of my panties and he was working them down off my butt. I lifted up, pulling myself up with my arms around his neck without thinking to allow him to pull them out from under me. He stepped back and then one hand was tugging them toward my knees as he worked to open his pants with the other.

He let go of my panties at my knees and used both hands to finish opening his pants. His hands were on his waist band and he shoved his jeans and boxers to his knees. His cock sprang free and was standing erect between us now.

I realized what we were doing when he reached for my panties again, and started to pull them down my legs. I pushed his shoulders back and broke the kiss. I was panting for breath as I rested my forehead against his.

"Edward stop…"

"I don't want to stop, love." My foot came out of the leg of my panty, and they were hanging on my other ankle now…

"We can't do this…"

"Don't tell me you don't want to…" His hand slid up the inside of my thigh as he stepped between my knees, and his fingers dipped between the folds of my pussy. I was wet and ready for him, but I didn't want it like this…

"We don't have time…" I moaned as his fingers stroked me.

"We have enough time…" His finger slid up and swirled around my clit, and I gasped at the burst of glorious sensation.

"Remember what Alice told you…" I panted

"That girl can be truly annoying at times… Are you sure?"

"I want you…" His finger stroked across my clit again, and then he was pulling me forward to the edge of the counter. The head of his cock was pressing against me… "…but not now, ok…?"

"God, you are such a tease…!" He moaned.

"I'm sorry, Edward… I love you, but I just don't want my first time to be a quickie in the girl's bathroom, ok?"

"You're right. I should make it a memorable occasion for you," and he stepped back. Then his hand slipped my panties off my ankle.

"What are you doing? We need to go. Give me those back…"

"May I keep them as a souvenir?" He lifted them to his nose and sniffed. "They smell like you, and they'll remind me of this time we shared together."

"Edward! …I'm wet. I'll stain my skirt…"

"So you'll be thinking of me too then…" He said as he pulled up his pants and refastened them.

"You're not going to give them back, are you?"

He shook his head no, and then stuffed them into his pocket. "You can cross your legs and sit like a lady."

"You are so bad! Fine, give me a minute to clean up."

I hopped down off the counter and stepped into one of the stalls. At least the counter had been dry and my skirt wasn't wet. I wiped and did the best I could to dry myself off with the tiny squares of toilet paper. It didn't help that I was still aroused and thinking about what Edward was making me do made me even wetter. Finally I just gave up and flushed the toilet. I stepped out of the stall to find Edward standing by the door smirking at me.

"Ok, let's get to class," I said.

I opened the door, and the hallway was deserted. We started down the hall, and I prayed we wouldn't run into anyone.

"Are you walking me to class again?" I asked as Edward took my bag and reached for my hand.

"Of course. I'm responsible for making you late. I'll see you to your class safely.

"You'll be later…"

"I'm late already. A few more minutes won't count anymore against me."

"Thank you."

"So does this mean we can be more than just friends now, Bella? You know, you love me, I love you… Can this be more than a casual acquaintance now?"

"I'm willing to accept the fact that I'm in love with you."

"As I love you."

"So what does this mean for us, Edward?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you love me, and you stay with me, you'll bond with me…"

"I'm already pretty far down that path now, love"

"So if I was like you, then we'd be mates…"

"If I allowed that to happen, then yes… We'd be together forever…"

"Forever is an awfully long time…"

"Let's just take this one day at a time then."

"Ok, one day at a time I can handle. So what does this make us?"

"What are you asking, Bella?"

"You love me, I love you… What do we call this? Are we a couple now? Am I your girlfriend? Am I allowed to tell people about us, or do we have to hide this?"

"We are most definitely a couple, if that's ok. I'll accept you as girlfriend as long as I can be your boyfriend. You understand it can be more whenever you're ready for that step…"

"One day at a time, Edward. You didn't say if I'm allowed to tell people about us…"

"You can shout it from the mountain tops if you like, love, but I'm wondering…"

"What?"

"Does this mean you're ready to tell your father about us? Forks is an awfully small town."

"Oh… Charlie…"

"Yes, Chief Swan."

"I know. I need to talk to him. I have to do it, but I'm afraid…"

"What could you possibly be afraid of from your father? Your boyfriend is a vampire, love."

"I know, I know. I just don't want him to hate you. I don't want to hurt him, and I know he's going to try and make me stop seeing you."

"Could he?"

"No, but I don't want to fight with him either. I'll think of something. I don't want a repeat of that scene in front of the school this morning. I didn't like that at all."

"These situations are bound to occur from time to time, love…"

"Well then we'll have to find a way to explain this to my father… You're mine now… I don't want you to have to pretend that you aren't. I really lost it there for a minute when I saw you with Sara… I wanted to hurt her, and I knew you were only pretending…"

We didn't speak again as we reached the bottom of the stairs, and I hurried down the hall to the door of my English class.

"See you at lunch?" I asked and he nodded as he handed me my bag. Edward's expression looked troubled when I glanced up at his face, but I didn't have time to ask him why. We had arrived at my classroom, and I opened the door to step inside.

"It's so good of you to join us this morning, Ms. Swan," Mrs. Jensen said with biting sarcasm. "Step over here young lady and explain to me where you've been this morning, please."

She was scowling at me fiercely, and I saw her nose flare as she took a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me and I felt the blush rise in my cheeks as I stood there next to her desk. I was at a loss for words, when there was a knock on the door.

I felt a cold chill run down my spine as I glanced up at the clock. I was nearly fifteen minutes late for class. We should have just skipped instead of walking in late. I knew at the very best I was going to get detention. At worst they'd be making a phone call to my father.

"You stand right there while I take care of this, Miss. Then we'll deal with you…"

She walked to the door and cracked it open, and then stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. Time ticked by immeasurably slowly as I stood there next to her desk, and the class snickered and stared back at me. I was slightly heartened by the smiles and thumbs up from my girls in the back row, but I knew this was going to be bad.

Then the door opened and Mrs. Jensen walked back in. She walked to her desk and sat down, and then absently glanced up at me. "Can I help you with something, Bella?" she asked as she looked up at me and smiled.

"No… I'm fine…"

"Fine, dear. Take your seat, and we'll get started."

"Ok…"

I was startled to see her pick up a bottle of correction fluid, and then she was whiting out the tardy mark by my name in her attendance book. She blew on it to help it dry faster, and then simply marked me as present.

"Go on, dear, we've lost enough time," and I started to walk away.

"Oh, I have a message for you…"

I stopped and looked back at her.

"I'm supposed to tell you, you're welcome…"

"Thank you," I said and walked back to my seat to sit down.

I was careful to make sure I smoothed my skirt under me before I sat, and then crossed my legs and tucked my skirt around my knees. I knew what Edward had done. He'd compelled Mrs. Jensen to go easy on me, but that didn't mean I was ready to put on a show for her and the rest of the class.

"We're going to have an independent study day, today," Mrs. Jensen said as she addressed the class. "I know you all have semester tests this week, so please take this opportunity to study for your tests."

There were some odd looks as the people in class turned to look at their neighbors in shock. This was normally a very focused and structured class. We never had 'independent study days'. This had to be another gift from Edward. People turned to their neighbors and a series of quiet conversations started up while Mrs. Jensen sat quietly at her desk grading papers.

"Here, this is your's," Haley said as she set my cup of coffee on the desk in front of me.

"Thanks," I said. I had completely forgotten about it. Alice must have rescued it when I was losing it this morning before class. I took a sip and it was still slightly warm.

"So, what's up with Mrs. Jensen? I thought she was gonna go ballistic and at least give you detention. I told her you had to go to the restroom like Alice said, but it just got later and later, and you didn't show up…"

"I don't know," I lied. "Somebody must have said something to calm her down…"

"Somebody? Maybe Edward Cullen? He seems to get his way an awful lot of the time. So are you guys like together now?"

"Yeah, we're dating… He said I could call him my boyfriend…" I knew I had a silly grin on my face, but I didn't care, I was allowed.

"Wow, so it's official now?"

"Yeah…" I sighed, and then I got serious. "So what about you and Emmett? What's up with that? Doesn't he have a girlfriend?"

"I know… He has a girlfriend, and I don't want to be the 'other woman'. We're just friends, or at least I thought we were."

"Ok. So what was all that stuff about a guild and servers and raiding?"

"It's a hobby we share. We both like video games and we figured out we both play on the same server in World of Warcraft."

"Emmett's main is a Tauren Prot Pally, and I run a Belf Frost Mage. He was putting a pre-made together for a ten-man raid, and spamming trade chat for people to join his raid group. I whispered him because DPS slots fill up pretty fast, and he sent me an invite."

"We didn't even know we both lived in the same town at first, but we both made comments that made us suspect. I recognized his voice when we were in vent after he mentioned Forks. We got to chatting after the raid, and he invited me to join his guild."

"So when he figured out who you were, he asked you out? What about Rosalie."

"It wasn't like that, Bella. I don't want to be in the middle… We were just online friends for a long time. We didn't even talk very much in real life."

"So what changed?"

"I don't know… I just mentioned I was having some hardware issues with my computer in guild chat one night, and he offered to help me with it. We went to Seattle and had lunch. He helped me pick out the upgrades I needed, but then he wouldn't let me pay for them."

"That's it?"

"No… He kissed me…"

"So, friendly kiss or romantic kiss? Like a friendly platonic peck on the cheek?"

"Oh no, there was nothing platonic about it… definitely romantic…"

"Just once…?"

"Ok, maybe more than once… Maybe more than just kissing, too, but I had to put a stop to it. It was fun…, but he's with Rosalie. I like him, but how do I stay just friends with him, Bella? I was giving him some space 'cause it was getting weird."

"I can relate…"

"Yeah, well at least Edward was single. He might have dated every girl in school, but he's never asked any of them to be his girlfriend before. Emmett has a girlfriend, but I like just hanging out with him as friends too."

"Would you be cool with just being friends if there wasn't any of that other stuff going on?" I had a pretty good idea what was really going on, but I couldn't explain that to Haley.

"Yeah…, but how do we get back to just that? We know what we've done before when we were alone together. I like Emmett. He's cool. He's an awesome tank… You should see how he kicks ass in the BG's. I just don't want Rosalie to come looking to kick my ass, for real. She scares me."

"I think I need to have a talk with Edward's brother…" I said, getting mad. Emmett shouldn't be toying with Haley's emotions like this. He'd gotten what he wanted. Why hadn't he made her forget all the details, and left her with memories of them being together?

"Bella! You can't talk to him…"

"Why not? You want to be friends, right?"

"Yeah…"

"…And you're not into him, like in a romantic way…"

"I would be if he was single, but he isn't going to break up with his girlfriend for me. I don't want to come between them…"

"Trust me; he isn't going to leave her."

"I knew that. I always knew that…"

"Why…, did he say he would?"

"No… He just said she wouldn't mind… How can she be cool with that? I couldn't let some guy get away with that… Why should it be ok for me?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think she would… Mind that is…"

"No, not really… So they're together, but they date other people? That just doesn't seem right to me…"

"Yeah… I know what you mean… So you like him as a friend, right?"

"I'd be cool with being just friends, but I don't see how we could make that work. We can't take back what we've done. How can we be just friends again after what we've shared?"

"If there was a way, would you be cool with it?"

"I guess… What would I have to do? Is that even possible?"

"Maybe… Let me talk to Emmett, ok."

Haley nodded, and I resolved myself to sit down with Emmett Cullen and find out what the hell he was up to with Haley.

I could see Angela watching us as she followed along with our conversation, and I could practically hear the wheels going around in her head as the pieces started to fall into place. Sara was looking intently back and forth between Haley and me and Angela listening to us. Luckily, she decided to change the subject and joined the conversation.

"So, Bella, You're going out for the softball team." Sara stated. It didn't sound like a question, but wasn't exactly a command, either.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna give it a try. How about you? Want to come play ball with us?"

"What, who me?" Sara squeaked. "No way. Definitely a spectator sport for me. I'm more of a cheerleader at heart. I'll root for you from the stands, but I don't do baseball."

I let Sara off the hook and didn't press for her to try out too. It was going to be interesting enough with just me out there, but it got Haley started on the subject of baseball in general and softball in particular. We ended up talking about the differences in the rules, and I learned a lot about a game I really didn't care much about. I didn't really mind.

The rest of the morning flashed past in blur as I moved from class to class.

There was a minor moment of anxiety in American Government when Mike Newton distracted me with his sudden renewed attention. He was probably attracted by the way I had dressed, and I was a little flustered as I tried to find a place to sit that wasn't by him. I flopped into a seat by Mr. Reese's desk without thinking, and I may have briefly flashed him before Alice got his attention and distracted him. Her significant glance and eye roll over his shoulder reminded me I was going commando, and I quickly sat up and fixed myself, crossing my legs and tucking in.

That was the major excitement of the morning but it paled in comparison to the earlier drama. Jessica was back to ignoring me in Trig and Spanish. If you looked close, you could tell she had the ghost of a bruise on her cheek, but it was skillfully concealed with makeup.

Mr. Varner droned on in his nasal monotone about variables and theorems and the arcane intricacies of mathematics while I sat with Alice and Sara. Jessica was conspicuous by her absence from our group.

Senorita Goff went through a series of review exercises while I sat with Angela and Jessica found a seat in the back of the room.

Edward met me as I walked into the cafeteria for lunch, and we went through the line together so I could pick out my food. It was understood now that whatever he selected, I would expect him to eat or at least taste before he was allowed to dump it in the trash. Unfortunately for Edward, the high school cafeteria didn't have steak on the menu, rare or otherwise. I had a pretty good idea he'd be avoiding the fish sandwich and the pizza.

He must have been getting some pointers from Alice, and selected the grilled chicken breast sandwich and got a green salad from the salad bar. I got pretty much the same, but I put salad dressing on my salad. We grabbed a couple of bottles of water, and then Edward paid for our lunch before I could get my wallet out of my purse.

Edward discarded the bun when we sat down, and carefully wiped off all the mayonnaise before slicing off a piece of the chicken. He speared it with his fork and tentatively nibbled at the end of the piece of grilled meat.

"You know, you can ask them for just the chicken breast patty. A lot of people don't eat the bun, and just cut it up to put in their salad."

"I may have to consider that option if you make me continue this charade."

"It's hardly a charade. We're having lunch. You can eat all of this. As long as I have to eat this for lunch, then you can too. And I'm not making you do anything. You don't have to eat it if you'd prefer not to have lunch with me…"

"That's hardly fair, Bella. While I'll admit, I'm physically capable of eating this; you have no Idea what it tastes like to me."

"Ok, that may be true…"

"It is entirely true."

"Perhaps we can compromise then… You have something of mine I'd like back."

"I don't know… I seem to have grown attached to my souvenir…" He said with a smirk.

"What do you say you give those back…, and you can skip lunch today?"

"That hardly seems like a fair trade. You don't even know if they're still in serviceable condition. Maybe you should inspect them…" He started to reach into his pocket, and I quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Edward! No! Not in here!" I didn't think he'd really take them out of his pocket, but he seemed to enjoy the fact that I had slid closer to him and was hugging his arm to my body now.

"Alright… Is there someplace else more private we should go so you can inspect them?" He asked as his hand moved out of his pocket and his fingers traced up and down my thigh, dragging my skirt higher on my leg, up away from my knee.

"I'm open to suggestions… Where did you have in mind?"

"We could go out to my car in the parking lot and listen to a CD…?"

"What if my father is still staking out the school, or drives by while we're out there? Isn't that kinda asking for trouble?"

"True… We wouldn't have to stay in the parking lot we could drive someplace…"

"We wouldn't make it back in time for Biology."

"We could always skip class today. It's not like we wouldn't be studying biology… and I have an independent study experiment of my own I'm dying to have you help me with…"

"Hmm… Tempting, but I'm sure you can come up with something better than the backseat of your car… Maybe we should save that project until we have plenty of time and won't be so rushed, ok?"

"Fine…" He said a little dejectedly.

"We have about twenty minutes left now … You were going to show me something?"

"Alright." He said, perking up immediately. "Are you done with your lunch? I think I know a place… But I might have to make it alright with somebody… Is that ok?"

"…Ok. Like Mrs. Jensen, this morning? She'll be ok, right?" I asked as I wiped my mouth with a napkin and pushed the tray away.

"She won't remember a thing, and she'll be right as rain by tomorrow morning." Edward got up and took the tray.

"Fine. Where are we going? Are you done with your lunch?" I asked as I got up from the table and held onto his other hand.

"Hardly, love, but I think I've found something immensely more appealing to my appetites. Come on, I'll show you."

I could feel the blush in my cheeks as I let Edward lead me out of the cafeteria. He dumped our tray, and then took the doorway that led inside into the administration building instead of the doorway that led back outside to the courtyard between the main school building and the parking lot.

This building housed the administration offices, the school nurse, teacher's lounge, the cafeteria and the school library. Most of it was a single story structure, but there was a second story over the library, and a few of the offices were upstairs.

Edward led me down the deserted main hallway and stopped to push open the doorway of the library. Very few people used it during lunch, and it looked deserted today. The librarian only came to Forks a couple of days a week. She shared her time between a couple of different school districts, and made the trip out here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The librarian was seated at a desk behind the counter, eating a sandwich from a brown paper sack. She looked up at us and frowned when we walked in.

"Can I help you?" She asked with obvious suspicion in her voice.

"I require the use of a study cubicle for the rest of the period. I have to work on a report…"

"Really…" She said with heavy sarcasm as she set down her sandwich and got up to come to the counter. What subject exactly do the two of you plan to study?"

"Biology." Edward said with a straight face.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Not in my library, young man. Why don't you two turn around and get the hell out of here before I have to call the principal…"

"Just give me the sign in sheet, please." Edward said in his honeyed seductive voice, and I saw her eyes glaze over as she reached for the clipboard on the counter.

"Here you go…" she answered in a little voice as she pushed the clipboard toward Edward. He quickly made an entry and then set down the pen.

"We each came in separately, and you assigned us each a cubicle to study in. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. We're studying quietly, and we are not to be disturbed. Do you understand?

"Yes…"

"Now, go finish your lunch, and if anyone else comes in, you'll tell them the library is closed for lunch."

"Ok, closed for lunch…"

"In fact, you're going to lock the door so you won't be disturbed."

"Yes, I should lock the door…"

Edward was tugging on my hand, and he led me away from the counter and deeper into the library. We went up the stairs to the second floor and through the stacks toward the back of the room. The back wall held a row of doors, and he picked one at seeming random and pulled it open. He flipped on the light switch and we stepped inside.

The study room was small and austere with a sturdy table in the middle of the room and a couple of straight backed wooden chairs. The floor was linoleum tile. Scuffed wooden wainscoting panels lined the walls up to waist height and the rest of the walls and ceiling were covered in white acoustic tile. There were no windows except for a small rectangular wire glass window in the heavy wooden door.

There was no lock on the door or even a latch, but I knew the librarian wasn't going to come looking for us, and nobody else knew we were here except maybe Alice.

I didn't have time to think about it. Edward was gathering me into his arms as his lips found mine and he backed me against the edge of the table. My tongue pushed between his lips into his mouth, searching for his tongue, and then swirling around it as they danced together.

Edward's hands were moving on my body, and then they were working lower as they slipped onto my ass and started to hike the back of my skirt higher, bunching it around my waist.

My hands were busy too. I reached for Edward's belt and started to open it. It worked open ridiculously easily, and then I was yanking open the snap on the front of his jeans.

Edward lifted me onto the edge of the table and it was cold under my bare ass cheeks with nothing under me but the suspender straps from my garter belt running up the backs of my thighs to the welt of my stockings.

I was tugging the waist band of Edward's jeans down as I gripped his pants and boxers all at once. They slipped down over his ass, and I could feel the pubic hairs above his cock as they hung up on his erection. The position was awkward with me sitting on the table, and I couldn't easily push them lower.

Edward broke the kiss and was nuzzling against my cheek as I panted against his.

"I thought you said no?" Edward panted against my ear. "Are you saying yes now?"

"Maybe I'm ready to say yes…" I felt Edward growl against my neck, and his hands were moving on my legs, lifting my hips, drawing me forward towards him.

His hand pushed down the front of his pants, and his cock sprang free between us. He flipped my skirt up onto my stomach out of the way.

He was drawing me forward toward him and I felt the head of his cock against my pussy lips, rubbing through my curls.

"Wait…" I groaned and he stopped again.

"Bella, love, don't do this to me… I'm only so strong… I want to respect your wishes, but I need to know what you want…"

"I'm sorry, Edward… I just need to touch you…" and I reached between us to stroke his cock. His hips bucked forward, and the head of his cock pushed between my pussy lips. I gripped him tighter and held him back when he tried to push deeper.

"I need to feel you as much as you need to feel me, but we're a little pressed for time. Is it alright if I'm ready to say yes, but say not yet?"

Edward groaned and eased back. "I suppose not yet is better than no… So where does that leave us? Do you want me to stop?"

"God no! I need you to touch me… I thought you said you'd found something better for lunch? What exactly were planning on eating?"

"I think kinky little vixen teases are on the menu today."

His cock pulled back away from me, and then he was lifting my legs again. He was pushing my knees back and apart, exposing me to his hungry lips and willing tongue. I leaned back, sprawling on the table as I caught myself on my elbows.

"I am so not a tease…" I said as I lay back and I hooked my hands under my knees, pulling them back to my chest.

"And you really think you'll have time to take care of me before Class? You are such a little tease. At least if I was inside you, we could both enjoy this." Edward said as head dipped between my thighs. I could feel his cool breath against my heated flesh as he spoke.

I gasped and moaned as his tongue slithered between pussy lips and lapped flat against me. His tongue licked up my center, and then lapped against my clit as he flicked at it.

"Oh my god..! Yesss… Unhhh… Don't do anything… you don't enjoy… I think this is fun for you toooo…"

I felt his finger tip rubbing against me, circling over my opening, and then his long sinuous finger was pushing into me.

Unhhh…" I grunted as he pushed inside. "God, that's sooo good…" I moaned.

He was working his finger in and out as his tongue lapped from where it was sliding into me, and then back up to lap at my clit poking out of its hood. He varied his technique, pressing flat then working it from side to side.

The focused attention was driving me closer and closer to the edge as he worked passionately at the sensitive bundle of nerves, first gently and then more energetically as he drove me towards my climax.

"Unhhh…Oh God… Fuck… God, I'm so close…" I yelled.

Edward slipped a second finger in beside the first as he worked them in and out. He pushed in deep, and I felt his fingers crook upwards against the sensitive spot deep inside me.

My eyes rolled back and I moaned loud as the blissful wave of pleasure flashed through me. I think I had a small orgasm, but Edward wasn't done with me yet. He didn't stop and kept up the attention until reality returned.

"Unhhh…Oh God… Fuck… Edward…! I'm gonna cum!"

He thrust deep into me, again and again, and then suddenly I was at the peak. My climax flashed through my core, and a huge orgasm crashed through me.

I screamed Edward's name as I clenched tight around his ears with my knees and my muscles contracted around his fingers pushed deep inside me. He held himself still as my clit throbbed and pulsed under his tongue.

I felt a flood of wetness squirt out of me as his fingers slid out, and then his lips were pressed tight to my pussy. My juices squirted into his mouth as he sucked them out of me. I felt all the muscles in my body contract, my toes curled tight in the toes of shoes, and my eyes rolled back in my head as I plunged over the edge and my orgasm carried me away…

I was trying to take deep breaths, panting to calm down as awareness returned and the heavenly bliss spread through me. Edward licked me clean, catching every drop before he let go of my legs and gently lowered them to the table top.

"You know, it's a good thing these rooms are sound proof, love." Edward said as he cleaned his face with a handkerchief. "I like it that you're vocal when you cum and let yourself enjoy what you're feeling, but do you think you could be quiet if you had to?"

"I don't know… I've never had to. Why, what did you have in mind?"

"Oh, you never know when an opportunity might present itself. I was just curious how much control you thought you might be able to manage."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see how I do. How much time do we have left before class?"

"None…" and the first bell rang to punctuate his statement, announcing the end of lunch.

I swung my legs over the side of the table and sat up. "Can I have my panties back now? You've had your fun… I'll need them back before gym class…"

"Umm… you've had your fun. I'm still waiting." He said as he pulled up his pants and fastened them. "Perhaps I'll just hang onto them until after I've had my turn."

"Edward! Quit fooling around! Give them back to me!"

"Actually, love, I don't have them with me. You're free to search me if you like… In fact I might even enjoy that…"

I hopped off the table and searched his pocket, but he was telling the truth.

"Where are they? I can't go to gym like this. Everyone will see…"

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes, it is. I have Jessica Stanley in gym class! Everyone in the school will know…"

"Once again, is that really such a bad thing? You're mine now. I do have a certain reputation to maintain. Besides, I thought Alice pulled Jessica's teeth?"

"Edward!"

"Come on, we need to get to class or we'll be late."

"Fine. You can be such a jerk sometimes!"

"But you know you love me."

I hopped down off the table, and smoothed my skirt around my legs, making sure I was covered, and it wasn't tucked up in the back or something. I took Edward's hand, and he pushed open the door and led us back downstairs.

"Fine, but you know, that says a lot about my taste in men. You get away with too much."

"And I'm putting up with a lot and being excessively understanding about your need for the perfect setting to say yes. You know most high school students don't have nearly the advantages that you do. Fifteen or twenty minutes of alone time is a rare luxury for most."

"Thank you for understanding. I don't know… Maybe I am being a tease. I don't mean to be…"

"You're being seventeen, and I love you. I wouldn't change any of this, love. We'll wait until you're ready. I want you to be ready for it when it happens."

I noticed it had gone from if it happens to when it happens, but I didn't comment on my observation. We had arrived at Biology and walked in before the bell rang and took our seats. I scooted my stool closer to Edward's, and we sat with our legs pressed together now.

Mr. Banner followed us into the room a couple of minutes later, pushing a tall wheeled cart with a projector on top and an old fashioned VCR on the shelf below it. The projector was more modern and was set up to project the images from the VCR onto the screen at the front of the room.

"We'll be watching a movie today class. I know you all start your semester tests tomorrow, and we'll be on the shortened schedule for the rest of the week. Make sure you check the posted schedules to see when you have to be here for your test. This movie ties in with the review we've been working on, and will explore many of the issues we've discussed in class."

Mr. Banner left the cart in the middle of the room and unwound the cord as he spoke. He plugged it in to an outlet on one of the lab tables, and then moved to pull down the screen at the front of the room. Mike stood up and moved to close the curtains, and then Mr. Banner walked back to the cart to start the movie. He walked to the door and got the lights, and then went to sit at his desk while the credits started.

The only thing more boring than studying cellular anatomy, the phases of mitosis, cellular division and replication was watching a movie about it. It amazed me that people actually made movies like this for a living, let alone the fact that school districts bought them or teachers like Mr. Banner showed them.

I leaned forward on the table to lay my head on my arms while I tried to watch the movie. At least I didn't have to worry about falling asleep or dozing off. The feedback loop would prevent that until I decided it was time to sleep.

Edward was still sitting up with his leg pressed against mine. His subtle movement caught my attention as I felt him shift in the seat. I glanced back in time to see him gesture with his hands as though he was drawing a curtain around us, and I felt the gentlest pulse of energy flow out around us.

I doubt anyone else but me would have even noticed it, even if they were awakened and knew what he was doing. The sight settled over my eyes as I let them slip out of focus with static reality and looked at the energy patterns that pulsed through the room.

There was the subtlest of energy matrixes surrounding us like a shroud. It glowed faintly golden and gossamer wispy insubstantiality that nobody but me would even be able to see. I had a feeling the only reason I could see it was I was aware that Edward had done something, and I was looking for it. The matrix was a little like a glamour and a little like the tiny illusions I was learning to manipulate, but much more advanced than anything I had yet to attempt.

I felt Edward's hands on my back, massaging and caressing me. His fingers felt incredible, but I couldn't believe he was touching me like this in the middle of the classroom. The lights were out, but I could still see everyone in the room. He was going to get us written up for a PDA if he wasn't more careful.

Then his hands moved to the sides of my torso, working up and down my flanks. His hands lingered on the edges of my chest and massaged the sides of my breasts.

"Edward! Stop that!" I hissed quietly at him so nobody would hear. Nobody seemed to have noticed, but we were in the middle of the classroom for god's sake! Mike Newton sat behind us! I wasn't about to put on a show for him.

"Shhh, love," Edward shushed me as he leaned in close to whisper in my ear. "Nobody can see us, but they can still hear us."

I sat up and looked around, and everyone was still ignoring us as they watched the movie.

I leaned in close to him, to whisper in his ear, "What did you do? I felt the energy, and I can see a faint wisp of matrix like a glamour…"

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close so his lips were pressed against my ear while he spoke.

"God, you're sensitive, if you can see and feel that much… It should be invisible. I wouldn't even be able to find it if I hadn't cast it. It's an illusion. Everyone around us will continue to see what we were doing when I cast it, until I end it. We're effectively invisible as long as we stay within the confines of the illusion."

"But they can hear us…" It was a statement, not a question as I pressed my lips against his ear to whisper to him.

Edward nodded his assent so he wouldn't have to speak again. My lips were still pressed to his ear as I spoke. "So, do you think you could be quiet if you had to?"

He pulled back slightly to gaze into my eyes, and raised an eyebrow to show his intrigue with my question. I didn't answer him, but my hand dropped to the zipper on his jeans and started to work it down.

Edward pulled me close and his lips found mine as I slipped my hand into his fly. His tongue was pushing into my mouth as my hand fished for the opening in his boxers. His tongue was swirling around mine, slick and sweet and velvety as I slipped my hand inside his boxers and found his hard cock.

He gave a light moan when I palmed the head of his cock, and then wrapped my hand around as much as I could reach as I tried to stroke him. His pants were too tight to let me move like I wanted, and I knew this wasn't going to work.

He groaned against my lips when I pulled my hand out of his pants, but I felt his lips curl into a smile against mine when I reached for his belt. It was hard trying to open it one handed, but I got it open, and then popped the snap loose.

I broke our kiss to look around and make sure we hadn't become the show, but everyone was still watching the movie.

I saw Sara glance towards us, and a faint smile briefly crossed her lips, but then she turned away and was looking forward at the screen again.

My hands were on the waistband of Edward's jeans as I tugged them down, and then he obligingly rose up to let me tug them out from under him. His stool made a light scrapping sound and I froze as I looked around, but it hadn't caught anyone's attention.

I kept tugging them down until his cock sprang free, and his jeans and boxers were bunched around his knees. He moaned lightly against my lips as I reached for him again and wrapped my hand around him. I stroked up and down his length and cupped the head of his cock with my other hand, lightly squeezing the head.

I broke our kiss and looked around the room one more time, and then I levitated a fraction of an inch off my stool. I silently slid under our lab table to my knees and shifted so I was in front of Edward.

I reached for him with both hands and gripped his cock as I leaned forward and swirled my tongue around the head. It was salty and sweet and huge and smelled so overpoweringly of Edward.

I leaned forward, taking him in my mouth as I sucked the head between my lips. I pushed forward as far as I could, wetting as much of his shaft as possible, and then pulled back to start bobbing on the end of his cock.

I glanced up, and Edward's head was thrown back with his eyes pinched tightly shut. His hands were gripping the edge of the table behind me as he fought for control and fought to stay quiet.

My hands were working on him, stroking up and down the length of his cock, slippery with my saliva as I milked his erection. My tongue swirled around the head as I bobbed up and down, taking him deep, and then backing off to wrap my lips around him and suck for all I was worth.

It was a battle of wills as I fought to drive him to his climax, and he fought to stay in control and remain quiet.

I reached between his legs and gently palmed his sack, rolling his balls between my fingers, and then I lightly gripped it and gently tugged his sack as my other hand continued to milk his cock.

I heard the lightest of moans as I glanced upward again. There was a slight shimmer in the shroud of illusion surrounding us, but it stabilized almost immediately. I knew I'd get more than written up for a PDA if the illusion crashed now, but I didn't let it stop me.

I redoubled my efforts to make Edward cum. I knew the movie was drawing to a close, and I'd seen Mr. Banner glancing up at the clock.

I sucked harder, stroked faster, and took him deeper than I'd been able to before. I was working his cock hard and fast as I tried to push him over the edge. He gave a slight groan as he fought to stay quiet, and I knew it was working.

My efforts paid off. I felt Edward tense up, and I sensed his imminent release.

His hands let go of the table as his fingers slipped into my hair, and he gripped my head tight, pushing deeper into my mouth.

I knew he was going to cum and I wanted every drop. I held tighter and sucked harder, and then with a tremendous shudder he exploded down my throat, panting and twitching as a quiet moan of ecstasy escaped from his throat.

I felt Edward's orgasm splash into the back of my throat as he pushed his cock was deep in my mouth, and I locked my lips around him and swallowed. I was expecting the taste as the cool, salty sweet torrent filled my mouth and I fought to swallow all of it down. I got almost all of his cum, and only a tiny dribble escaped to run down my chin.

I wiped it off as I slid back up to my stool, capturing the stray dribble with my finger. I sucked my finger into my mouth to lick it off as Edward watched with lust filled hooded eyes.

Then the movie was ending and Mr. Banner was out of his chair moving to the light switch. I leaned back down on my arms on the desktop, and Edward was fastening his pants as the light clicked on. I felt him let the illusion collapse as the light came on and the movie ended.

I sat up and looked around the room. Sara was looking at me with a smirk on her face, like she knew something had happened. Mike Newton was looking around and sniffing, like he smelled something strange, and gave me a suspicious look before looking away.

The bell rang, and then everyone was getting up to leave. I stood up, and Edward pulled me into a hug and pressed a kiss against my cheek.

"Thank you, love. That was incredible."

"You were pretty incredible too. You're gonna have to show me that trick."

"Don't worry. It's something you'll pick up. It just takes practice.

"Fine. So we're even now, right? Don't you have something for me?"

"Sorry, love. Still don't have them with me…"

"Edward! What about gym class?"

"Don't worry, you'll survive."

He took my hand and led me out of the room into the hallway. I didn't know what I was going to do, and seriously considered just skipping gym. I could walk home before I had to go to work if I had to.

Alice was waiting for us in the hallway when we walked out of Biology Class. She pushed between us, and my hand slipped out of Edward's as he stepped aside to make room for her.

"And just what do you think you're doing, Alice?" Edward asked.

"You've had your fun today, Edward. Go to class. You can see Bella later. We need to talk now."

"Fine. I'll see you tonight then, Bella."

"I can't, Edward… I have to work. Charlie always picks me up after work now, during the week…"

"Then perhaps I'll need to go shopping for some new camping equipment. Alice did mention that you were interested in having somebody teach you how all of the equipment was used. I have a considerable amount of experience with everything you sell."

"You're coming to visit me at work?"

"That's alright, isn't it?"

"Sure… But no funny business, ok? I like my job, and I don't want to get fired."

"You know, you don't really need a job. I can easily afford anything you…"

"Let's not go there yet, ok? I like having a job. Besides, I'm not going to let you simply pay for everything, ok?"

"Fine, For now."

"Hey, if you come by tonight, bring Emmett with you."

"Emmett? Why on earth do you want to see him?"

"I need to discuss something with him for a friend."

"Very well, I'll see if he's available. Goodbye, love. I'll see you later, then." He turned on his heel, and then he was striding away down the hall.

Alice took my hand and led me towards the gym, but we stopped at the end of the hall and she pulled me into the girl's bathroom. She made a cursory check of the stalls to make sure we were alone, but I had to assume that was mainly for my benefit to put me at ease.

"Would you like me to just lock the door?" I asked.

"Nope, nobody's gonna come in…" She reaching into her purse, and then was handing me something. "Hurry up and put these on, we need to get to gym class."

I took the pair of panties from her, and looked them over. They were the same pair I'd been wearing this morning when I got to school. I stepped into the stall to pull them on.

"You waited until now to give me these? You know you could have slipped them to me in second or third period or even lunch…"

"What fun would that have been? You know you liked it. You would have come up with an excuse to go home and change by now if you didn't. I didn't want to interrupt your game."

"Our game?"

"I can't believe you did that in the middle of class! God you are so made for Edward. You're going to fit in with all of us perfectly."

"What can I say? I saw an opportunity, and I went for it."

"Fine. Well at least you didn't get caught. You two have had your fun, but I didn't think you wanted all the girls in gym class to be in on your little secret."

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. It would probably get back to Charlie."

"You know, if you're going to be dating Edward, it might be a good idea to start carrying a spare pair of panties in your purse…"

"Let me guess, he considers these a disposable article of clothing?"

"And in the way, more often than not…"

"Yeah, I've noticed that. Ok, I'm ready, let's go. Thanks, Alice"

"That's what friends are for."

We hurried to the gym and made it into the girl's locker room before the bell rang. I got some looks, but not too many. I wasn't the only girl there changing out of stockings and a skirt to dress for gym class. I knew it would have been worse if I showed up without any panties on.

There were more murmurs and looks when I took off my sweater and the hickey on my neck was visible to anyone that looked at me. I changed into a sports bra and the loose tank top and tight shorts we used for gym uniforms. It wasn't going to hide anything, and I just ignored the whispered comments from the other girls in the locker room.

Alice beat me out into the gym. She always did. I went to stand with Haley and Michaela, and then we did a schoolyard pick to choose teams for dodge ball again. Jessica was sitting out today, and took a seat in the bleachers to watch. Michaela whispered in my ear that she'd brought a doctors note excusing her for the rest of the week, and I just grinned as I looked over at her. She looked away and wouldn't meet my eyes.

Gym class was fun even though I had to hold back so I wouldn't hurt anybody. I got picked on a team with Haley and Michaela, and our team won all of our games. My aim was developing rapidly, and I almost never missed in class now. It was another story when I practiced with Sara, but I was learning how to hit her too.

The bell rang announcing the end of class, and Coach Newhouse told us to hit the showers. We turned to head to the locker room, but then we heard the coach calling us over.

"Swan, O'Donnell, Clark, come over here for a minute." Coach Newhouse yelled after us. We stopped and looked at each other, and then jogged over to the coach.

"So, Swan, O'Donnell here tells me you've been thinking about what we talked about yesterday."

I looked at Haley, and then turned back to the coach. "Sure. I talked to my parents, and I think I want to give this a try. I've never played any kind of sport on a team, but my mom said I should try new things…"

"Good. So do you want me to sign you up for the pitching clinic?"

"Sure, I guess so…"

"Good. I have a packet of information and consent forms you'll need to have your father sign, and you'll need a sports physical before you can participate in practices or games."

"A physical?"

"We need it for your records, to show you're fit, and don't have any serious medical conditions that would prevent you from participating."

"Ok, is that all coach?"

"O'Donnell here says you don't know much about the game. I want you three to start bringing your equipment to gym class, and you two can bring Swan here up to speed before we start spring training."

Haley and Michaela nodded enthusiastically.

"Umm… Equipment? I don't actually own any yet."

"Well all you really need is a ball glove to start. Get one, and start bringing it. We'll teach you how to use it."

"Ok. I was talking to my dad about that…"

"Charlie Swan, right? Well, listen to him. I hear he had quite the arm back in the day."

"My dad?"

"Yeah. You should really take a look in those trophy cases out in the lobby. They're not just there for looks, you know."

"Really? Ok. So will I need sliding shorts?"

"It's a good Idea. You only really need them if you're going to try and steal bases a lot, but you never know when we might tell you to slide."

"Ok, I'll look at work tonight. Are we done, Coach?"

"One more thing, Swan…" Coach Newhouse reached out and placed her fingertip on my chin, and pushed my head to the side so she could look at the hickey on my neck. "Boyfriend?" she asked.

I blushed, but turned back to look her in the eye when she let go.

"Umm… I'm dating Edward Cullen…"

"Good. That won't last. I won't get involved of your personal life, but I like my girls to be able to keep their head in the game. It gets emotional enough with twenty teenaged girls without worrying about break ups and date nights and missing practice to go out with some guy. If you're on the team, it's a commitment, and I expect the team to come first. Are we clear?"

It stung a little to have her so callously write off Edward as potential boyfriend material, but I didn't let it affect me, and gave her the answer she expected.

"Sure, Coach…"

Edward did have a pretty bad reputation. Only time would tell if it was deserved.

She nodded towards the locker room dismiss us. "Ok. Hit the showers, and I'll get those papers for you."

We nodded agreement, and then the three of us turned and jogged to the locker room. Most of the other girls were already gone when we got there. Haley just wiped down with her towel and got dressed to go meet Angela. I assumed she'd shower when she got home. She told us goodbye, and then left.

I quickly stripped out of my gym clothes, and grabbed my things to shower. I had to work tonight, and I wouldn't have time at home before I had to go to work. Besides, I didn't want to invite Mike over to my house if were going to be alone. I knew Mike would be waiting for me outside the gym. We really were just friends now, but he still drove me to work. I didn't really mind, but I was so looking forward to buying a car so I could drive myself.

"So you and Edward are dating now?" Michaela said as she stepped into the shower. "That sounds like more than just friends. I thought you said you weren't going to let that happen?"

"He likes me… and I like him, too. Shouldn't I at least give this a chance to work?"

"With Edward Cullen? This is the same Edward Cullen that goes to Forks high school, right? The same Edward Cullen that's dated almost every girl that walks and breathes and doesn't have a steady boyfriend? Hell, he's dated most of them too. If you believe the rumors, he's even dated some of the teachers! I heard he took Ms. Goff to Seattle for a weekend over summer vacation last year."

"So he's dated some people before. He's experienced. Is that such a bad thing? I've been on a date or two myself, you know."

"He's been on more than a date or two, Bella, and you know it. So it looks like you two have been getting busy… Still got that V-card, or is that why you're so into him?"

"We've done some things… but not that yet…"

"Yet? You're gonna give it up to Edward Cullen? Do you have any idea how many other girls before you have done the same thing because they thought he'd ask them out again? He's a player, Bella. He's playing you, and you're buying it."

"I know it looks bad now because it's still new. It looks like every other time he's dated somebody, but what we have is special…"

"Special…? Special, how?"

"He told me he loves me…"

"And you believed him?"

"Did he tell you he loved you?"

"No… But that's beside the point. You're in denial, Bella. You're letting him in, and when he starts asking other girls out again, it's going to shatter you. He'll break your heart. It's who he is."

"That's not going to happen…" I said as I turned off the shower. I grabbed my towel and started to dry off as I walked back to my locker.

There was a stack of papers sitting on the bench in front of my locker. I picked them up and flipped through them. They were the consent forms and sports physical form. The sports physical form required a doctor's signature, but my dad could fill out the rest. I stuck the papers in my bag and grabbed my clothes.

"Yes it is," Michaela continued as she sat down on the bench in front of her locker to get dressed, "and we're going to have to pick up the pieces."

"There aren't going to be any pieces to pick up. I love Edward, ok? If you can't handle that, then you don't have to stick around and wait for the melt down, ok?" I was mad but I knew she meant well. I tried not to let it upset me as I got dressed.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. We're friends and we stick together, no matter what, ok? Just remember I told you so when it happens. You can cry on my shoulder. We'll eat ice cream out of the carton together and complain about what shits men are."

"Thanks Michaela, but this is going to work."

"Fine, so what does your dad think of this development?"

"Umm… he doesn't know… Don't say anything to him, ok?"

"Oh this just gets better and better. You want to keep this a secret from your father? In Forks? Jesus, Bella! Half the town probably knows what color underwear you wore to school this morning, and you want to keep the fact that you're dating Edward Cullen a secret?"

"I know… I need to talk to Charlie, but I don't know what to say… He hates Edward. He told me to stay away from him…"

"So of course you ran right out and started dating him."

"It just kind of worked out that way…"

"It usually does. Well, if you want any kind of shot at making this work, you're going to have to tell him. It would be better if he hears it from you than from gossip around town."

We were both dressed and we gathered our things to leave.

"I know. I'm just scared about how he'll react."

"He's your father. He isn't gonna like you going out with any guy. Maybe it's worse because he knows Edward's reputation, but it's not like he's a serial killer or anything, right?"

"Yeah… right…"

"I'll see you tomorrow. My advice is just get it over with, and tell him. Then he can start learning how to deal with it. It'll be worse if you drag it out." Michaela waved and walked away towards the parking lot.

"Hey, Bella." Mike said when we walked out of the gym. "You guy's took forever today. Haley left like ten minutes ago."

"Yeah, we were talking to Coach Newhouse, and then I had to shower before I got dressed. I knew I wouldn't have time before work, otherwise."

"So, you're wearing that to work?" Mike asked as we walked to his car. "Don't get me wrong, I like it… It just seems a little dressier than what I'm used to seeing you wear."

"Well, it's not against the dress code, and I like it. Heck, your mom wear pearls and heels to work everyday."

"Yeah, well I just thought I'd warn you. If you start dressing like this, she'll expect you to keep doing it. We still have time to run by your house if you want to change…"

We got into his car, and he drove through the parking lot to the exit.

"No, let's just go."

"Ok, don't say I didn't warn you. So what did the Coach want?"

"I'm going out for the softball team this spring. She wants some of us girls to start getting up to speed during gym class before we start practice next month."

"That's cool. I thought you said you didn't play any sports?"

"Well, I haven't until now. Heck, I don't even know how to catch a ball, but Coach Newhouse wants me to go to this pitching clinic in a couple of weeks. Really, she wants Haley and Michaela to work with me and get me up to speed before spring training."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You've got quite an arm when you cut loose. You get some control with that much power and you'll win games. Jess was pretty upset about dodge ball the other day."

"She was…?"

"Her mom took her to the doctor, and they took x-rays. There were a couple of hairline fractures, and she had one helluva bruise, but she covered it all up with makeup."

"Oh shit! Was she pissed off?"

"A little, but she'll get over it. Dr. Cullen gave her a shot of something, and the swelling went right away."

"Oh my god! I didn't want to really hurt her..."

"But you were a little pissed off about something, right?"

"She said she'd go out with Edward again if he asked her… I guess I was a little jealous…"

"Huh, well maybe she deserved it then. So you and Cullen, huh? Is that gonna last? He dates a lot of different girls, Bella. Way more than I ever did."

"He used to date a lot of different girls. He's off the market now."

"So you guy's are a couple?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, good luck with that. C'mon, let's go." Mike said as he pulled into a parking place in front of the store and shut off the motor.

We got out of the car and went into the store. We were still early but we went into the back to get ready. I got my red vest with my name tag out of my locker and put it on. I looked in the office and Karen was at the desk working on some paperwork. I stuck my head in to see if she was busy.

"Hey, Karen, do you have a minute?" I asked.

"Sure, Bella, C'mon in."

"Ok…"

"Well, don't you look nice today? This is an improvement. Will we be seeing more of this?"

"Sure…"

"Good. I try to get everyone to try and dress up a little more for work. I think it sets a good example, and looking professional helps bring in more customers. Now, what did you want to ask me?"

"Umm… I'm going out for softball this spring…"

"Yes, Samantha already called me."

"Samantha?"

"Samantha Newhouse, your coach."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry; we'll work your schedule around practice and your games. I don't mind. It's good for business to have some people work here that actually play on the teams. You'll learn about the equipment we sell, and that'll help you help our customers."

"Ok, well I better go clock in."

"Ok, Bella. Good luck with the season."

"Thanks… Oh there was one more thing…"

"Yes?"

"I need to pick up some equipment. I guess I'll need a new glove and some cleats. Coach Newhouse said it would be a good idea to get some sliding shorts too…"

"Pick out whatever you need. Your employee discount will apply, and if you like we can put it on account and deduct it from your paycheck over time. If there's anything we don't have that you need, we can order it for you. We have catalogs from all of the popular suppliers."

"Ok. So it's ok if I spend some time looking over what we have in stock then?"

"Oh, by all means, familiarize yourself with what we sell and how it's used. That's the only way you'll ever be able to sell any of it."

"Ok."

"We're going to start having a lot of parents coming in over the next couple of months asking the same questions you have now. If you get it figured out, then you'll be able to answer their questions when they're buying gear for their kids. We'll make more sales if you know the answers, and they don't have to drive to Port Angeles or Aberdeen to know they're making the right buying decision."

"Huh. That makes sense. Ok, well I better go start my shift."

Karen nodded and went back to her paperwork, and I went out and clocked in. The night went like any other night at work. Karen and Wally left at five thirty, and then it was just Mike and I running the store until we were supposed to close at nine.

I was thinking about taking my dinner break around six when I heard the bell from the front door announcing a customer. I knew Mike was busy in the back with some merchandise that had been delivered today so I went up to take a look and see if they needed any help. I wasn't surprised to see Edward, Emmett and Jasper walking into the shop. I'd been expecting Edward to show up at some point during the night. Edward was carrying a large package, almost like a basket or picnic container with a cloth cover and canvas fabric strap handles.

"Can I help you gentlemen find something tonight?" I asked as I walked up to them and smiled.

"Perhaps you could show us some camping equipment later." Edward said. "Alice informed me that you usually take your dinner break about this time when you work nights. Esme prepared dinner for you," he indicated the package he was carrying. "We came into town to deliver it."

"She didn't have to do that…"

"She enjoys cooking, but only Alice ever eats any of it. She was overjoyed at the opportunity to perform this service for you."

"Ok. Let me go tell Mike I'm taking my break. Where would you like to eat dinner?" I asked.

Edward had a pained expression on his face, and his brothers were both snickering under their breath at his apparent misfortune.

"There's enough for all of us, right?" I asked. That seemed to shut them up and there were groans from Emmett and Jasper now too. Jasper knew better than to refuse or he'd hear about it from Alice, and Emmett knew the other two wouldn't let him slide if they had to share my dinner with me.

"Oh, I'm sure there is." Edward said with a smirk at their apparent discomfort.

"Good. Did you want to sit out in the courtyard? There are some tables and benches out there for the deli customers at Thriftway."

"Something with a little more privacy might be more appropriate…"

"Why? What's going on?"

"There's a Forks police cruiser parked in the shopping center parking lot. It isn't your father, and the officer is parked so he has a view of the highway, but he was watching the front of the store when we pulled in. Apparently he has instructions to tell your father the names of any of the boys from school that come in here tonight."

"Damn. Isn't it going to look suspicious that you came in here tonight?"

"No, we're regular customers here, and the camping season should be ramping up soon. It's normal for us to come here for new gear at the start of the season."

"Ok, C'mon. I'll talk to Mike, and we can go sit out back."

"Hey, you guys don't mind if I just browse around while you're busy, do you?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I do mind. I need to talk to you." I said as I glared at Emmett. "That's why I told Edward to bring you tonight. I don't think we should have that conversation out here."

Emmett seemed a little taken aback at my apparent hostility, and took a step back "…Ok… What did I do to piss you off?" He asked in shock.

"You'll find out. Now c'mon, let's go. I only get thirty minutes for dinner."

Edward and Jasper seemed as surprised as Emmett, but fell into step and followed me to the back of the store. We went into the back room where Mike was working on labeling the new stock.

"Hey, Mike, can you go watch the front? I'm gonna take my break and sit out back to have dinner, ok?"

Mike looked up and saw me with the three Cullens, and an involuntary shudder ran through him. "Sure, Bella, go ahead and eat. I'll take my break when you're done."

He got up in a hurry and went through the door to the front of the shop, leaving us alone. I knew he wouldn't be back to bother us until I went and told him I was back. I got my purse out of my locker, and we went out back to find a place to sit. Edward opened the basket to start dishing out the food, and I turned to look up at Emmett.

He was standing back looking a little bewildered at why I was apparently mad at him, and I stepped over in front of him. He was huge, and towered over me, but I knew that wasn't really an issue. I didn't let his size intimidate me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my friend Haley?" I said as I poked him in the chest and he backed up, startled. He stopped with his back against the wall and shrugged.

"Haley's my friend, too… I'd never do anything to hurt her…"

"You are hurting her. You got what you wanted, didn't you?" I said as I poked him in the chest again and put a little bit of emphasis behind it to make my point.

"Ow! That hurts! Maybe we got a little bit more than friendly…"

"You kissed her!" poke.

"Ow! Yeah…"

"And you had a little taste?" poke.

"Ow! Yeah… That's what we do… You know that."

"So is she still a virgin, or does she just think she still is?" poke.

"Stop that! I would never do that unless she wanted it! To Haley or anyone else! If she says she is then she still is, at least as far as I'm concerned!"

"Then why the hell does she still remember what you guys did? You had your fun. It's tearing her up worrying that Rosalie is gonna kick her ass for caring about you! She still wants to be friends with you, but the memories of you two fooling around won't let her!" I poked him in the chest again for emphasis as I stood there in his face.

"Ow! Is that what this is all about? Edward, are you just going to stand there?"

I looked back, and Edward had a huge grin on his face. "Bella seems to be doing just fine on her own without any help from me."

"I meant help me!" Emmett complained. "Call off your girlfriend, man. I don't want to hurt her!"

"You need me to protect you from a hundred and ten pound girl? I thought you were tougher than that, Emmett."

"Fine. Don't tell me I didn't warn you!"

Emmett reached for me and looked like he was going to grab my arms to move me out of his way. I reacted first and didn't let him. I reached out with a field of invisible blue and pinned his arms to his sides, lifted him a foot off the ground and pushed him back against the wall.

"We're not finished here yet! You haven't answered my questions!" I poked him again to make my point.

"Ow! Stop that! Let me go!"

"Not until you explain what's going on with Haley! Rosalie is your mate! It's not like you really want her that way! You got what you wanted! Why didn't you make her forget?" and I poked him again.

"Ow! Rosalie won't let me! There, ok? Now you know! I don't want to hurt Haley, but I can't let her forget!"

"What do you mean, she won't let you?"

"Ok, Bella," Edward said. "Let Emmett go now, and we'll try to explain."

"Edward!" Emmett complained. "You said we weren't supposed to say anything."

"It's alright, Emmett. She already knows. We discussed most of this the other night."

"What did we discuss? I don't understand… How won't she let you?"

I let Emmett go, and he dropped to the ground. He stumbled briefly but didn't fall, and hastily got out of my way. He went to sit by Jasper who was wearing a huge grin at Emmett's apparent misfortune at incurring my wrath.

I took the plate that Edward handed me and sat down to eat while they explained it to me.

"We talked about the bond between Sire and Progeny. You know somewhat about the limits to freewill that is a part of that bond. You know about our mating bond and that Rosalie and Emmett are mated."

"Wait… So you're saying Rosalie is Emmett's Sire, and she turned him?"

Edward nodded. "Yes, and she retains a modicum of control over his actions…"

"I'd say more than a 'modicum'." Emmett muttered with a trace of exasperation. "It's damn annoying knowing she always gets her way and has the last word on every subject!"

"I don't see you trying to break away from her control," Jasper said. "Don't tell me you don't like it. You're whipped, and you know it."

Emmett shrugged. "I'll admit there are certain advantages to being a hot sexy blonde's love slave…"

I winced and turned bright red as I held up my hands. I didn't need to hear about that… "Ok, too much information. Let's stick to the subject. Why won't she let you let Haley forget?"

"You'd have to know Rosalie better to understand her motivations," Jasper said.

"She enjoys the drama too much." Edward said. "Face it, Emmett; she can be kind of a bitch a lot of the time."

"It's my fault. She knew I liked Haley as a friend. She decided to play one of her little games. I wouldn't be surprised if she plans for the three of us to be together at some point."

"Doesn't Haley get a say in any of this?"

"That's the whole point of the game, Bella." Emmett said. "She'll think it's her idea, and she'll want it to happen when it does"

"That's sick! You'll make her want that?"

"No, Bella. That's the point. We won't force her to do anything. I'm the one being manipulated. She'll want it if it ever goes that far. That's how seduction and corruption games work. Hang out with us long enough and you'll learn."

"Rosalie is a most consummate succubus, Bella," Edward said. "I told you she held to certain of the prejudices common to our kind. She views humans as playthings to satisfy her own intricate fantasies if not as meals. She represents what you might consider to be the worst of what we all are to one degree or another. At least in terms of the seduction of the innocent and a callous disregard for human moral values."

"I thought succubus's seduced men?"

"They do, but you can broaden that definition to include humans in general. Few of us limit our sexual encounters to a single gender, Bella."

"Oh…"

"You seem shocked… Perhaps we should continue this discussion in private some other time.

"No, I'm fine… So what about Haley then? You're all just alright with the fact that Rosalie is playing some kind of sick twisted mind game with my friend?"

"Your involvement in this situation is a new development, and I'm sure Rosalie will consider your point of view…"

"Edward, if you're going to make her your mate don't lie to her." Emmett said.

"That's not a lie. None of us play games with people we know are friends of the family."

"Rosalie doesn't consider her family yet, and you know it. She won't until she's your mate, and you know she won't back off until you turn her or we move."

"Thank you, Emmett. I'm sorry I got in your face earlier. So what you're trying to tell me is I'm having this conversation with the wrong person, and I need to talk to Rosalie."

I opened my purse and took out a cigarette. I placed it between my lips, and Edward was reaching into his pocket for his lighter. I didn't wait for him, and let a ball of living flame coalesce in the palm of my hand. I leaned forward and touched the tip of the cigarette to it, and then let the ball of fire twist into a fiery question mark hanging in the air.

"Hmm…?" I blew out the smoke I was holding in and let it scatter the flame. "Is that what I need to do?" The threat in my actions was implicit and I think I got the point across that I was serious about this.

"That might not be the best course of action, love…"

"So are you going to fix this then, and help Haley get over this bozo?" I asked as I nodded in Emmett's direction.

"Hey!"

"Be quiet, Emmett," Jasper said as he waited for Edward to answer me.

"We don't normally interfere in each others personal affairs like that…" Edward said, trying to appease me.

"I didn't think so. So I guess I was right. I'm talking to the wrong person to try and resolve this issue."

"Rosalie won't listen to you, Bella. She considers you to be human and beneath her. She'll laugh in your face."

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I'm not above kicking a little ass if I need to, to make my point. I'm not gonna let her keep messing with my friend."

"Let me talk to her and see if we can reach a diplomatic solution first, ok?"

"Fine, you talk to her first, but I'm not waiting forever for results."

"I'm sure she'll listen to reason…"

"Edward…" Emmett started again. "This is Rosalie Hale you're talking about, right? You're going to try and reason with her? I think maybe you should just let Bella tear her a new one. At least it would be entertaining to watch."

"So what you're really saying is that I need to earn her respect…"

"Not an easily accomplished task," Jasper commented. "I think the hard way has certain merits in this situation."

"Just let me talk to her first, ok?"

"Fine. You talk to her, but Haley's my friend, and I'm not going to let this continue."

"Give me a couple of days, ok?"

"Ok. I can wait a couple of days to see what happens. So, we're going to look at some sporting goods equipment tonight, right?" I asked to change the subject.

"Of course, love," Edward said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"So, would you happen to know anything about baseball?" I asked.

There were chuckles from the three of them, and then Edward said, "I may have a passing acquaintance with the game."

"Good," I said as I stood up. "I need to get back to work, but maybe you can help me with something."

I crushed out my cigarette butt, and started toward the door. "Meet me inside when you're ready, ok?"

Edward nodded, and I went back inside while they packed up the remains of dinner. The food had been excellent, and I was going to have to thank Esme. She really was an excellent cook, considering that she apparently didn't eat much of it, if any. She must have picked up the skill to keep Alice happy, or maybe it was something she'd enjoyed doing when she was human.

I went and found Mike to tell him I was back from break, and found him hovering around the cash registers up front. He didn't look outright scared, but he had gotten just about as far away from the four of us as he could without leaving the store.

"Hey, Mike. I'm done with dinner if you want to take your break now."

"Yeah, ok. I'm gonna get some air. I don't see how you can hangout with those guy's, Bella. They seem alright when they're alone, but you get more than two or three of them together, and they just give me the creeps."

"Really? I don't get that at all. They seem perfectly normal to me. Well, enjoy dinner. I'm gonna show them some camping equipment, and I want Edward's opinion on softball gloves."

"Huh. That should help your commission. They're big spenders."

Mike hurried and left then.

"You want my opinion on softball gloves? Have you found a new hobby, love?" Edward said from behind me. That must have been what drove Mike out the door in such a hurry.

I turned around, and Edward was standing behind me. Emmett and Jasper were browsing together, and meandering towards the camping gear.

"I guess I never had a chance to tell you today. I'm going out for the softball team this spring. Coach Newhouse wants me to start training with Haley and Michaela during gym class to learn some basic skills."

"You can't be serious, love! You're going to play baseball with all of those high school girls?"

"Umm… I happen to be one of those high school girls, and I'm playing softball."

"I know you are, love, and you're adorable, but you do have some rather obvious advantages. Do you really think that's fair to the other girls?"

I started to walk back to the baseball and softball section as we talked, and Edward followed me over.

"I don't have any obvious advantages. They're all completely inconspicuous. It's not like I'm using rigged equipment or taking drugs or anything to do better. Everything I do is perfectly natural for me. If another girl had a talent to run faster or throw further should she sit out just because she's better at it than the other girls?"

"Don't you think that you're rationalizing just a bit? You have special talents that none of the other girls have."

"Haley and Michaela both play, and they're talented too. There's nothing in the rules about using magick to do better."

"Neither of them come close to your level of ability, and I seriously doubt they use those talents on the field."

"Fine, so are you going to help me pick out a glove or not?" I was standing next to the shelves and display rack with the equipment I'd been putting out now for a couple of weeks, and I was excited about picking some out to actually use.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. My mother said I should try new things… Besides, I have to. Sara thinks it'll help me develop my aim and learn to focus my control. I kind of have to do this."

"Oh… Well if you put it like that, I guess I'll do whatever I can to help then. So we'll be going to a lot of softball games this spring and summer? That ought to be fun. What position are you going to play?"

"Coach Newhouse is signing me up for her pitching clinic in a couple of weeks, and Haley seemed to imply that the team was weak in that position…"

"Pitcher? Are you serious? Who's your catcher? You could kill somebody if you aren't extremely careful!"

"Gee, Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I am serious, Bella. Remember the bowling alley? The only reason the ball didn't end up in the parking lot is because it had to punch a hole through the ball return machinery before it slammed into a block wall. It almost shattered the wall, and you weren't even trying very hard."

"So I didn't know my own strength and put a little too much oomph behind it… I got better once I knew what I was doing."

"Humans are a lot more fragile than cinder block walls, love. I heard about the incident in gym class the other day. Carlisle treated Jessica at the hospital."

"Mike said she went to the doctor, but she was in school today. She looked alright."

"You fractured her skull, Bella, and gave her a concussion. Carlisle took care of it and adjusted the records. He had to inject her with his blood to cause the injuries to heal rapidly. That was with a soft rubber ball that's intended to be thrown at people. You can imagine what would happen if you did that with a baseball."

"Shit! I didn't think it was that bad!"

"A little harder, and she could have died, Bella. If you pitch a perfect game, and throw nothing but strikes, that's eighty-one times the ball has to cross the plate. Can you stay in control that long? You know, nobody throws perfect games. It'll be even more in practice. One slip up and you could seriously injure your catcher or the batter if you get tired and threw a wild pitch. And what about making a snap throw to first base, or trying to pick off somebody stealing a base? You'll need to be extremely careful in the heat of the moment."

"Heck, I don't know, Edward. I've never even thrown a softball, let alone try and pitch one. That's why I need to practice, to see if I'm any good at this. At least I don't have to worry about getting tired. I don't even know who our catcher is yet. Nobody's mentioned a name to me yet."

"Well, at least that's one thing I can do to help you if you're adamant about going through with this. She might not be overjoyed about the position, but she'll play catcher if it means she can go out for the team…"

Edward's phone rang as if on cue, and he reached for it and slid it out of the clip on his belt. He flipped it open, and held it to his ear, and then winced as he held it away from his head. It was loud enough that I could hear it.

"…_thank you thank you thank you. I get to play softball! Oh thank you thank you thank you!_"

"Yes, Alice, you can play, but you have to play catcher, and keep Bella out of trouble…"

"_thank you thank you thank you! I can deal with catcher as long as I get to go out for the team! Thank you thank you thank you!_"

"Goodbye, Alice. I'll talk to you when I get home."

"_Hey, Pick up that glove I showed you, ok? Thank you thank you thank you!_"

"Alright, we'll talk later." He flipped the phone closed and replaced it on his belt.

"Alice seems a little excited. She plays baseball?" I commented.

"Yes, I suppose she does. Actually all of us play baseball. It's kind of an institution in our family. We've enjoyed it as a family pastime for decades."

"Really? Vampires play baseball?"

"It is the American pastime. It used to be a lot more popular, but football plays better on television. There are lots of breaks for commercials."

"Huh, ok. So what position does she usually play?"

"She's our pitcher, but she'll take what she can get if we let her play. She's been pestering us to let her play sports when we go to high school for decades now, and we've always told her no. Carlisle and I both thought it would be unfair to the human girls to let her play sports"

"So she's finally getting her way because you think I need a chaperone?"

"She's more durable than the humans and has the reflexes to catch whatever you can pitch, but a three hour bus trip will push the limits of her control. It's a little dangerous for her to be around all of those young human girls in that kind of environment."

"Dangerous how? She goes to gym class everyday. How is this any different?"

"Things can get a little emotional with the highs from winning, and the lows from losing, and there are the rather long bus trips to consider. I'm sure you've noticed how she rushes out of the locker room. It's a strain on her control, Bella."

"Oh… So all those girls changing clothes and showering… what, it turns her on?"

"Yes… you get the picture… I'll expect you to try and keep her out of trouble."

"Umm… how am I supposed to keep her out of trouble that way?"

"I'm sure you two will think of something…"

"I'm not sure if I like what you seem to be implying…"

"You're friends. You might need to get a little friendlier to keep the two of you out of trouble."

"That's very open minded of you… I don't know if I'm quite that open minded…"

"Don't go prudish on me now, Bella. I'm sure the thought has crossed your mind. Some of your team mates are quite open minded. We can always make adjustments after the fact, but it would easier if there weren't any incidents to fix."

"What exactly do you mean, some of them are 'open minded'?"

"Well, take your Coach for instance. I'm sure you're aware of the fact that she plays for the girl's team? Now Michaela, she hits from both sides of the plate and doesn't really care much one way or the other who's pitching or catching. Haley is into boys, and kind of like you, she hasn't really given girls much thought. She'll probably like it if she ever gets around to trying it. I could go on, but I'm sure you see my point."

"I don't like girls… not like that…"

"How do you know? Have you ever tried it?"

"No! I…"

"Then you don't know, do you?"

"Fine! Let's just look at gloves, and we can discuss this later, ok?"

"Of course, love. I'm sure you'll be giving it a lot of thought now."

We spent some time looking over the baseball and softball equipment. Edward showed me the variety of gloves, and explained what each one was used for. There were specialized gloves for a lot of the different positions. He explained about the various materials and the pros and cons of the different brands.

We picked out a pitcher's glove for me together, and he found the catchers mitt that Alice had shown him. He said the school supplied most of the catcher's gear, but he went ahead and bought her heavy duty catcher's mask with a built in helmet. He seemed to know exactly what her size was.

Edward looked through the rest of the catcher equipment we had in stock, but asked to look at our catalogs after he went through what was on the shelves. He found what he was searching for, and had me order a heavy duty padded chest protector and matching shin guards in Alice's size. I had to admit, she was kind of petite, and the generic high school gear would probably be huge on her.

The prices amazed me. My glove cost over a hundred and fifty dollars before my employee discount, but I put it on my account for the payroll deduction. Edward spent over a thousand dollars buying gear for Alice.

Jasper and Emmett came over while we were looking at the baseball gear and Emmett explained about the differences between bats for softball and baseball. Jasper taught me about all of the training aids and explained how you used them and why you'd want them depending on what position you played.

I blushed when we started looking at sliding shorts, but they all seemed to think it was a necessary piece of equipment. I blushed again when Edward sent me into the dressing room to try some on. I thought he was fooling around when he sent me back a couple of different times to get the size right, but he seemed serious about helping me pick out a pair that fit properly.

Once we settled on a size and brand, he picked out several pairs and added them to the stack. I complained about the price, but he threatened to buy them for me if I wouldn't. I put them on my account.

Mike stayed out of our way when he came back from dinner and disappeared into the back of the store to finish his labeling.

Eventually, we made our way over to the camping equipment, and I learned a lot about all of the different gear. We talked camp stoves and the variety of different fuels. We talked about tents and ground clothes. Newton's carried a huge selection of backpacks and we spent some times talking about the different styles and their pros and cons. Jasper showed me how to fit a backpack, and Emmett explained about the reasons why you needed a bear safe food storage container.

Edward offered to take me on a private camping trip whenever I wanted to give it a try, and I had to admit the idea sounded a lot more interesting to me now than it would have a week ago.

They picked out a lot of merchandise while they looked everything over, and explained why they were buying it. They really did do a lot of camping and hiking, and were very knowledgeable about everything we sold. The three of them ended up buying a couple of thousand dollars worth of camping equipment that night, and they said they'd be back in for more.

Edward kissed me chastely on the cheek when they were ready to leave, but I didn't complain. Mike was up front now to help them with their order while I rang everything up, and there were cameras watching the cash registers and the front of the store. He said he'd call me later, and then they left.

There weren't any other customers that night, and we had all of our work done. I spent the rest of the shift oiling my new softball glove like Edward had shown me, and working it with a new softball to start breaking it in so I could use it tomorrow.

Charlie was waiting for me in his cruiser in the parking lot when I got off at nine o'clock. I waved good night to Mike and started over to the car. Charlie got out and came over to help me when he saw the packages I was carrying. He took my school bag and another bag to put in the back seat. I kept one and got into the passenger seat.

"Jeez Bells, did you buy out the store tonight?" Charlie asked when he got in.

"I picked up a couple of odds and ends I needed tonight. Here, take a look, and see what you think?" I took my new pitcher's glove out of the bag and stuck it on my left hand.

Charlie whistled between his teeth and got an appraising look in his eye "That's a nice glove. Let me see…" and I handed it to him. "This looks expensive, Bella, but it pays to buy good equipment. How could you afford this?"

"Karen said I could put whatever I needed on account, and they'd deduct it from my paycheck over time. I needed it for school tomorrow, so I bought it."

"Tomorrow? I thought you said practice didn't start until next month?"

"The Coach said Haley, Michaela and I should start bringing our gear so they could work with me during gym class."

He nodded and sniffed the glove. Then he rubbed his fingers in the pocket. "You already started breaking it in? Good. Did Mike help you with this? I didn't think he played baseball…"

"No… We had some other customers in the store tonight… I asked some questions…"

"Oh… Yeah, I heard about that. So the Cullens were in Newton's tonight? They stayed for a long time. I don't like them hanging out around you."

"They were perfect gentlemen, dad. They know everything about all the stuff we sell."

"They helped you?" He started the car and backed out of the parking place to drive home.

"Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you about that. I saw you parked across the street this morning when I got to school, and then there was a police cruiser parked in the parking lot all night! Why are you having me followed around?"

"You didn't do what you said you were going to do the other night. I know something funny is going on, Bella. You should count yourself lucky that you aren't grounded again after that stunt last night. If you don't want to tell me who you were with, I'll just have to figure it out on my own."

"So you're spying on me?"

"It's what I do, Bella. It's my job to know what goes on around here. That goes double when it's my daughter that's involved. This can stop whenever you like. Just give me a name."

"What, so you can go arrest him, or threaten him?"

"I might need to go have a talk with this boy that thinks he can keep my daughter out until two-thirty in the morning, yeah."

"This is special, dad. That's why I can't tell you yet. I need to give it some time, ok?"

"Special how?"

"I like this boy, dad. I like him a lot. Maybe more than just like him, ok?"

"You've only been here for three weeks. This is what, the second guy you've gone out with? At least that I know about…"

"There aren't any more…"

"Ok, and now you're telling me what? You're in love? Isn't that jumping the gun a little bit? Shouldn't you give it a little more time?"

"I think we already had the discussion about how long it takes to fall in love."

"Ok… so when do I get to meet this boy? You won't even tell me his name."

"You're gonna be mad, Charlie. Renee told me what it was like when the two of you first started dating… Gramps hated you! He ran you off with his shotgun…"

"Wait one minute! You're not falling for one of those Cullen boys, are you?

"They're really nice boys, dad. I don't understand why you don't like them…"

"No way, Bella! We talked about this! I don't like them even hanging out around you. I sure as hell won't stand for you dating one of them! I don't want any of them anywhere near you!"

"They're regular customers, and I can't be rude to them, dad. They bought three thousand dollars worth of stuff tonight. If I don't help them I lose out on the commission, and Karen would probably fire me if I told them to go shop someplace else."

Charlie whistled again. "They bought three thousand dollars worth of camping equipment?"

"No, they bought a lot of baseball gear too. Umm… Alice is going out for softball too…"

"Of course. How did I just know you were going to tell me that? Fine, well at least nothing should happen with fifteen or twenty other girls around."

That's what I was hoping too, but I wasn't counting on it. We pulled up in front of the house, and I started to get out of the car.

"This discussion isn't over, Bella. You aren't dating any of those Cullens! Am I clear? They're no good for you, and they only want one thing! I won't stand for it. Do you understand me?"

"I don't want to fight with you, dad, but I was very clear about this. You don't get to decide who I go out with. I'm a big girl, and I can make my own decisions about who I date or don't date. You're just going to have to trust me to make good decisions."

I got out of the car and hurried into the house. This argument had worked before, and I was hoping Charlie would drop it and back off. I could see he was mad when he followed me inside, and I didn't even try to run upstairs. I went and sat in the living room to wait for him. I didn't wait long and he followed me in. He tossed my bags on the sofa, but he was already arguing.

"No. No way, Bella! No way in hell! Not my daughter! There is no good decision that ends with you dating a Cullen! I know what they are, and I know what they do! And they aren't doing that to you!"

"They're boys, dad. Little girls grow up to become women. That's going to happen eventually. That isn't something you can stop from happening. It's not like you waited until you were married..."

"That's not what I meant, damn it!"

"Well then what exactly did you mean?"

"Arrrrgh! Damn it! I can't go into all of the details! I don't want to involve you in this, Bella! They aren't good for you! You aren't dating any of those Cullens while you live under my roof!"

"Fine. Renee already told me I'm not welcome in Phoenix anymore. I guess I can call Sara and see if I can live with her until I'm eighteen, or were you just going to call child protective services, and have me hauled to county?"

"Don't tempt me, Bella. You aren't going anywhere. This is your home."

"Fine, then don't give me ultimatums. You don't decide who I date. If you want me gone, then just let me know, and I'll clear out my shit, but don't tell me who I'm not allowed to spend time with Charlie. You'll lose that fight."

"I don't like this, Bella. Not one bit. I don't want any of them in my house, and I sure as hell don't want them sniffing around you! I'm gonna have a talk with Dr. Cullen about this. This isn't the end of this, young lady. I'll find out which one it is, and then there'll be hell to pay!"

"And you want to know why I won't tell you his name? Just back off, Charlie, and let me live my life, ok?"

"No. Not this time. This is too important. I'm not gonna just let this go. I'm your father, and you're making a bad decision. It's my duty to protect you, whether you like it or not!"

"You can't protect me from everything, Charlie. Some things I'm just gonna have to face on my own. We aren't going to settle this tonight. I'm going up to my room, ok? It is still my room, isn't it?"

"Of course it's still your room! Fine, go to bed. We'll sleep on this. I don't like this one bit, Bella, and I'm not going to allow it."

"You know, Gramps didn't care for you too much when you started dating Renee. That didn't stop you, and it sure didn't stop her. We wouldn't be having this conversation if he'd been able to stop you two from seeing each other. Do you honestly think you'll be able to stop this from happening, dad?"

"I know, I was there. I know you think this is the same situation, but this is completely different."

"It's not so different…"

"I've gotta try, Bella. I love you, and you're my only daughter. You don't understand what's really going on here, but I gotta try. It's all I can do. You understand that, right?"

"I understand. You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to do. I don't want to fight with you, and I don't want to sneak around behind your back, but you have to know I'm not going to let you stop me…"

"Get some sleep, Bella. We'll talk about this in the morning when we've both calmed down, ok?"

"Fine. Good night." I turned and started to walk to the stairs, and then I remembered the papers in my bag. I stopped and got out the sheaf of forms and handed them to Charlie.

"Here, before I forget, these are the forms I need to sign up for softball. I need to get a sports physical before the season starts."

"Fine, I'll make you an appointment when I talk to Dr. Cullen."

I just nodded, and collected my things and went up to my room. I didn't want to argue with Charlie anymore tonight. I was weary and burned out, even if I wasn't tired or sleepy. It was a good night to try and catch up on some of my lost hours of sleep, and let oblivion carry me away and let me recharge.

I dropped my things in my room and grabbed my toiletries bag and pajamas to get ready for bed. I went down the hall, and brushed my teeth, and changed into my sleep pants and a tank top. I went back to my room, and got into bed. I was just about to plug in my phone when it started to ring in my hand.

Edward had said he was going to call, but then I checked the caller ID, and I knew it wasn't him. I accepted the call and held the phone up to my ear.

"_Well, that could have gone better. You know the only way he's ever going to accept this is if he knows about you. You could have said something tonight. He still won't like it, but he won't worry so much._"

"I know, Alice, but I wasn't ready to take that step yet. At least now he can start getting used to the idea."

"_He isn't going to get used to the idea until you come clean, and you both talk about everything you both already know._"

"Will it really be better if I just tell him?"

"_Not at first, but it's the only way he'll ever accept it_."

"That doesn't give me a lot of confidence, Alice."

"_You just need to get it over with so Charlie can figure out how to deal with it_."

"Well, I'm not going to do that tonight. Umm… I'm expecting another call, Alice…"

"_No you aren't. I told him not to call. Charlie was going to eavesdrop and hear way too much for his own good. Get some sleep, Bella. You have a big day tomorrow._"

"Fine. Good night, Alice."

"_Good night, Bella._"

The call ended and I plugged in my phone. I turned off the light, and then made a conscious effort to unhook the feedback loop so I could sleep as I lay back against my pillow. It was like pulling the plug on a lamp to suddenly shut off the light without bothering to flip the switch. I was asleep instantly. One moment I was wide awake and doing it, and the next instant my consciousness simply vanished as I dropped into a deep dreamless sleep.


	16. Chapter 16 Lessons in Betrayal

**Disclaimer: **Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

**Title: **Shades of Gray

**Rat****ing**: **M** for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

**Premise: **Alternate Universe. Bella Swan begins to discover the dark mysterious underworld that lies beneath the veneer of the modern world when she's sent to live in Forks. Is love enough to save her from the dark evil that threatens her? Is Edward part of the evil? OCC ExB Lemons

**Alternate Universe:** Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

**POV: **BPOV (Bella), Bella starts the story. Edward and Alice may have a say later on.

– – – –

**Author Notes:**

Please note that this story is **rated M** for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 16 Lessons in Betrayal

"_Bella! Bella, wake up!_"

The voice sounded so far away but extremely annoying. I tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away. There was music playing faintly somewhere, and I felt like I was being rudely shaken back and forth.

"_Bella! wake up! Don't do this to me! Wake up, bells…_"

The voice didn't sound so distant now. I thought I recognized it. Charlie? He was shaking me back and forth by the shoulders, and it was really getting on my nerves.

"Charlie…?" I whined. I was so tired… "Go away… Let me sleep…" I mumbled groggily.

"Oh, thank god! Bella! Wake up! I thought I was gonna have to call the paramedics!"

That got my attention, but not enough to make me want to get up. My eyes cracked open and dull gray light was streaming in the window. I tried to pull the covers up to my chin and roll over, but Charlie wasn't having it.

"Oh no! I know you're awake! You need to get on your feet and move around. What did you take? Can you throw up? I need to know…" He pulled the covers down, and the cooler air in the room shocked me a little wider awake.

"Nooo…!" I whined. "Go away, Charlie... I need to sleep…!" I know I didn't sound like me. I was so tired, I couldn't think, or barely move. I knew there was no way I was going to be getting out of bed anytime soon.

There was a knock at the front door downstairs, and Charlie stood up. I was already drifting off now that he wasn't shaking me.

"That's going to be Angela. I'm gonna get the door, and send her to school. You get your ass out of bed, Miss, or I'm calling the ambulance when I come back up to check on you."

He was finally gone I managed enough presence of mind to pull the covers back up. The dull gray light and the music blaring out of the clock radio were forgotten and I instantly dropped back into the oblivion of a deep dreamless sleep.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i

"_Bella, I know you can hear me. You can wake up now. Come back to me._" The voice cut through the fog and sounded like it was placed directly into my mind instead of being filtered through my ears.

It wasn't Charlie speaking… It was a pleasant soothing sounding feminine voice, and I knew it… It was so familiar… But it was so far away on the edge of consciousness… I felt it drawing closer and closer…

"Bella, wake up now. You're scaring your father." I knew I heard that with my ears. It was the same voice…

That registered. Something was wrong. I should be up and ready for school…

I felt like I was climbing out of deep dark hole as I clawed my way back to consciousness. Sensation returned and I knew I was in bed. I could feel somebody sitting on the edge of the mattress.

Warm hands were gently touching my face. Fingertips were lightly pressed to my temples, the corner of my jaw, and along my forehead. Warmth flowed into me from each point of contact, and I felt myself infused with a soothing energy that made my struggle easier.

My eyes opened, and I saw Angela sitting beside me, leaning over me, touching my face.

"Ang? What happened? I was so tired…"

"Good, you're back." She said as she sat up. "You really gave you father a scare. He thought you tried to OD on sleeping pills or something, but he couldn't find any empty bottles, so he hadn't called an ambulance yet."

"Oh my god!" I said as I sat up in bed. "Where's Charlie? What happened?"

"He's down making a fresh pot of coffee. I convinced him to let me come up and check on you."

"He let you?" I asked a little incredulously.

"I was persuasive. Sara showed you how to run in overdrive and use your energy reserves so you don't need to sleep, didn't she? But apparently she didn't show you how to turn it off. You can't just unplug, Bella. That's so dangerous…"

"Oh… I didn't know…"

"If you're going to use that kind of energy loop and run on overdrive, you have to back it down gradually; otherwise all the lost time hits you all at once. You miss two nights of sleep; your body wants it back right now when you cut off the juice. You were pretty much comatose when I walked in. If it had been more than a couple of days, it could have been worse. A lot worse."

"What did you do? How did you bring me out of it?"

"I shared some of my energy with you. I helped your body to heal itself and return to your natural balance. Now you better get up before your father wants to take you to the hospital."

"Thanks, Ang. What am I going to tell Charlie? He's never going to believe me if I tell him I was just really tired. I never have any trouble getting up in the morning."

"I don't know… Could you tell him you took a sleeping pill and just had a bad reaction?"

"I don't have any here in the house… He'd think I was buying drugs on the street…"

"Here," She reached into her purse and took out a prescription pill bottle. "Tell him you took a couple of these. I'll tell him I gave them to you."

Angela handed me the bottle, and I read the label. "Seconal? You take these? I didn't think they even prescribed these anymore. Isn't something like Ambien a little safer?"

"Sometimes I need a little help falling asleep. I stay up for days at a time sometimes, when I'm doing research or working on an important project. The more modern sleeping pills have less potential for abuse or accidental overdose, but they don't work for this. You need the stronger central nervous system sedative effect you get from barbituates. They help me come down when I ramp off the energy."

"I don't know… I experimented with some different drugs before I moved here. That's kind of how I ended up here. This is pretty hardcore shit, Ang. I promised Charlie I wouldn't do that anymore when I moved in. I haven't done anything like that since I moved here."

"Yes you have. You just figured out how to not use a pill or a powder. What you've been doing is like using speed, Bella. You had your high, and then you crashed when you cut it off cold turkey. Life is all about balance. You can take more, play harder, burn for longer, but eventually you have to give it back unless you want to live your whole life on overdrive."

"So the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long? That's kinda been my life philosophy up until now, Ang. I always figured I'd burn out instead of fading away. I just didn't expect it to be so soon."

"Somehow I don't think Edward is going to let that happen."

My head snapped up at her comment, and I frantically looked at the door, but it was closed tight. I didn't think Charlie would be able to hear us from the kitchen

"Shh… Charlie doesn't know I'm dating Edward yet." I whispered. "Well, he knows I have a boyfriend, but I wouldn't tell him who yet…" Then I looked back at Angela. She was patiently waiting for me to continue, but something about the look on her face told me what she was waiting for. "You know, don't you…?"

"So the Cullens, huh? They were right under my nose all along. It all started to make sense after you told me they could use magick. So, apparently they don't need to kill to feed, but I don't know if I'd consider what they're doing highly ethical."

"Umm… They live on a diet of animal blood for the most part, but they do need a small amount of human blood to survive. For the civilized groups like the Cullens, It's against their ethical code to compel humans to do anything they wouldn't already agree to. They make then forget the details like a little snack now and again, but they don't make people go out with them."

"Ok. What about James then? Where does he fit into the picture?"

"James is a nomad. Kind of like the bad vampires they make movies about. He's as much of an outlaw in Kindred society as he is to ours. He's the kind of vampire that gets all the press, and gives the rest of them a bad name."

"So you're ok with all of this?"

"They aren't bad people, once you get to know them, Angela. Its creeps like James that gives the rest of them a bad rap. "

"I suppose Sara knows all about all of this too?"

"Yeah. Everybody here had a lot of secrets they've been keeping. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but Alice is my friend, and you wouldn't say why you were searching for them."

"I'm sorry, Bella. If it's any consolation, I was bound not to tell. I still am. I'm not looking for them to hurt them, if that makes you feel any better."

"Ok, good. Just to clear the air, I know about the Garou down at La Push, too."

"You have been pretty busy since you got here, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Angela, Charlie knows about the werewolves. He's worked with them before. Hell, I guess he grew up around them. They've been friends since they were kids. Umm… he knows about the Cullens too, and he's worked with them a couple of times… But he doesn't know I know any of this… He doesn't know about me or what I can do. I'd prefer to keep it that way for now."

"If he knows all of that, it would probably be easier for both of you if he knew about you too, Bella. He'll be able to handle it if he's already accepted the rest…"

"I know… I'm just not ready to tell him yet, ok?"

There was a knock on the door, and then it opened and Charlie stuck his head in.

"Thank god, you're ok! I heard you talking, can I come in?"

"Sure dad…"

"Angela, can you excuse us for a moment? I guess you can go on to school if you want too… Thanks for helping."

"No! Angela don't leave without me. I can hurry and get dressed…"

"Are you sure, Bells? I was thinking maybe I should take you to the hospital and get you checked out…"

"I'm fine dad. I don't need a doctor…"

"I'll wait downstairs while you talk." Angela said. "There's a late start today anyhow. You have time. I came over early so we could talk." Then she slipped out the door and closed it behind herself.

"Thanks, Angela." Charlie said as she was moving through the doorway. Then he turned back to me and sat down on the edge of the mattress when she was gone.

"So what happened, Bells? You didn't get up when your alarm went off, and you didn't answer when I yelled for you to get up. I had to come in and check on you, and it was like you were almost comatose, but it was different from other cases I've been called on… You didn't try and hurt yourself because we argued last night, did you?"

"No! I would never do anything like that!"

"So what happened then?"

"Umm… I've been having a little trouble getting to sleep at night… Angela told me to try a couple of these to see if it would help…" I was still holding Angela's prescription, and I handed the bottle to Charlie.

"So you did take some pills? I thought we talked about this, Bella? You promised me…"

"I didn't take them to get high or for kicks. I followed the label instructions, and used them for what they're intended for. I don't know what happened. I must have had a bad reaction to them or something. It could happen to anyone."

"That's why you get them from a doctor, not your friend. There's a reason why you need a prescription. I'm going to have to talk to Angela's parents about this."

"Please don't get Angela in trouble over this dad. She was just trying to help. You're making me a doctor's appointment anyhow. I can talk to Dr. Cullen about this when I see him, ok?"

"Huh… I'll think about it. Angela has always been a good kid, and she has a good head on her shoulders. I can't imagine her getting involved in fooling around with prescription drugs. So what did Angela mean about a late start? There hasn't been much snow this year, and there isn't any on the ground now. Did you know about this?"

"I figured you of all people would have already known. We have semester tests the rest of this week. We're on a shortened schedule. You know, late start, and we get out early the rest of the week. I only have five classes the rest of this week. Well, more than five classes. We still have gym and lunch everyday. They sent the schedule home; didn't you get it in the mail?"

"I saw a letter from the school. I glanced at it, but it didn't seem important. Usually Principal Rupprect calls me directly to let me know about these things."

"Well, maybe he figured that since you have a daughter going to school now, you'd hear about it the way all of the rest of the parents do."

"Yeah, I suppose. So you're going to school then?"

"I really should. I don't want to miss now. It would be really hard to try and make up any of these tests, and it could delay my grades being posted."

"Ok, go to school, but I'm calling this morning to make an appointment for you. I'll call you to let you know when you go to the doctor."

"Thanks, dad. I should be at Sara's house after school. I'll see you for dinner, ok? Unless you call…"

"Fine. Just make sure you're someplace I can find you."

"Ok. Umm… Can I get up now? I need to get in the shower, dad."

"Oh. Ok…" Charlie stood up from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, and walked to the door. Then he stopped and looked back at me. "Do you want me to send Angela back up, or should I have her wait downstairs?"

"She can come back upstairs if she wants to. It'll take me a little while to get dressed. We can talk."

"Fine. I'll tell her you're in the shower and she can decide."

He walked out of the room, and closed the door. I hurried to get out of bed, grabbed my toiletries bag, and went down the hall to the bathroom. I ran the shower and brushed my teeth and hurried through my routine.

I didn't want to keep Angela waiting too long and besides, I wanted to talk to Sara. She had some explaining to do. I knew she'd been in a hurry the other night when she showed me the feedback loop, but I'd seen her in school yesterday. I considered learning how to turn it off safely a crucial piece of information.

It sounded like turning it off wrong was something that could kill me if I wasn't aware of how to ramp it down and back off gradually. Sara was my friend… She wouldn't do anything to hurt me, would she? It had to be a misunderstanding but I wanted to talk to her about it.

Sara knew we were scheduled to meet today. Maybe she'd been planning to explain the details to me today at our training session. She had said I could go for a long time with the kind of energy reserves I had, but Angela had said that the crash would just get harder the longer I went without sleep.

I finished in the bathroom, and wrapped a towel around myself before I went back to my room. I guess Angela had decided to wait downstairs while I took my shower and got dressed. I might have been in a bit of a hurry, but that was no excuse not to look my best. Angela was dressed in her typical everyday outfit, which of course today was a long wool skirt that hung past her knees, a turtle neck sweater, sensible low heeled shoes, and a long coat.

I'd started something yesterday, and I wasn't going to let it be a fluke or a daring experiment. I picked out some underwear and a pair of stockings, and then a nice gray wool skirt. I didn't think I even owned anything as long as the skirts Haley and Angela wore, but then Alice had picked out most of them, and Sara had selected the rest.

I was looking for a top to wear, and was lamenting the fact that I couldn't wear the blouse I'd picked out. It was cute, but it would expose the hickey on my neck. I held it up in front of me as I looked in the mirror to see how it would have looked, and then I made a startling discovery.

The hickey was gone.

I would have expected it to start to fade by now, but there still should have been a mark. I stepped closer to the mirror and cocked my head to the side to look for it. It was completely gone like it had never even been there. Angela had said she helped my body to heal itself, but I'd thought she'd just been describing how she'd given me an energy boost. I hadn't expected real physical healing like making a wound or physical injury like a cut or bruise heal faster.

There was a knock on the door as I was buttoning the blouse. "Come in," I called as I turned that way, and Angela pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

"I thought I'd give you some privacy to shower and start getting dressed, but your dad left for work, so I thought I'd come up and check on you."

"Sure, Ang, c'mon in. I should be ready to go in a couple of minutes." I sat down at my vanity to fix my hair and makeup, and I saw Angela sit down in the chair at my desk in the reflection in the mirror.

"That's a cute outfit. I knew you'd like wearing dresses once you gave it a try. I wish I could get away with wearing shoes like that."

"I do kind of like it, but I haven't worn dresses this much since I was a little girl and we lived with my Grams. I figured I started it; I might as well go for it. Edward seemed to like it."

"Well, it looks good on you, and if you like it then go for it."

I didn't comment on the fact I was wearing another pair of heels. Angela's natural height made that impractical for her, and it seemed rude to offer condolences. Instead I had a question for her.

"Thanks, Ang. I was wondering, I didn't really pay attention earlier… You said you helped my body to heal itself. I thought you meant the energy boost you gave me to help me wake up, but my hickey is gone. Did you really heal me?"

"Yes, you needed more than just an energy boost to wake up from that kind of crash. Without my help, you probably would have ended up in the hospital until you recovered enough strength to come back home again. Physical healing, balance and several mental disciplines are major focuses of study for the path that I follow."

"Is that something I could learn to do too?"

"That would be difficult… You chose Sara as your mentor because she follows a less harmonious path. You wanted to learn to fight to defend yourself. The abilities and mental disciplines required to deal damage are at odds with the teachings of the path of light. You walk a darker road, but that doesn't mean that I can't support your efforts."

"Huh, so I knock'em down, and you patch me up when they knock back?"

"Yeah, kind of like that. Sara and I have teamed up a couple of times and done almost exactly that before. I've gone with her when she needed backup to collect certain rare components for spells she was crafting, and she's gone with me to help me the same way in places where I wouldn't be able to go without somebody with her talents."

"Backup? So you're not talking a trip to the local Walmart, or a bad neighborhood in Seattle… But you don't fight…"

"No, we've made several trips into some of the horizon realms, some of the planes of the near Umbra and A couple of trips to some of the shard realms. I don't fight, but she can be more effective if I keep her alive while she fights."

Huh, that was interesting. I wondered just how effective this healing ability of Angela's was. She was as powerful as Sara, maybe stronger, and Sara had shown me some impressive abilities. I'd have to ask her about that, but I was more interested in where they'd been. Sara had said we'd need to make some field trips to collect things we needed for my training.

"We've touched on this a bit, and I've studied some material Sara has on the subject, but it still confuses me. So are these are other planes of existence like our world?"

"Yes. Our reality, or plane of existence as you put it, Gaia, exists at the center of the Tellurian. Most mages consider this to be the Prime Material Plane, and that the other planes of existence are reflections of it."

"Ok, so the Tellurian is the universe then?"

"In a manner of speaking, the term universe is too limiting. The Tellurian encompasses the whole of existence. The physical universe as humanity knows it is not the only facet of existence."

"So how would you explain those other realms in terms that I can understand then?"

"Well, the Near Umbra is kind of like the spirit world. Its planes exist simultaneously and parallel to the physical world you're familiar with, but its planes aren't an exact match of the physical world. You can think of it as a memory or dream of the physical plane, but it's possible for us to shift into that reality, and interact with it."

"You can think of the Horizon as Gaia's equivalent of an ozone layer. It shields and contains Gaia's Near Umbra from the void beyond. Horizon Realms are small pockets of reality resting on the rim of Gaia's Near Umbra. Most of these were created by powerful mages or other powerful entities as havens against alien realities."

"So if they exist beyond the Near Umbra, how would you get to one of these horizon realms?"

"There are portals to most of them or at least places where you can open a portal to travel to them."

"Ok, so what about these shard realms then? Where do they fit into the picture?"

"Most mages believe the Shard Realms used to be part of Earth until the rise of the Technomancers. They represent the parts of reality that didn't fit into the Technomancers view of the static reality they were creating. We really don't know much about them, although vast regions have been mapped and explored. Most believe they are the home to what remains of the mythical world."

"What, so, dragons and satyrs and flying horses?"

"Those things exist there, and many other things that we've forgotten about in this reality that we live in. Flying horses are as rare in the shard realms as they are here. Manticores and griffons are more common. Darker entities exist there too. The people that have written descriptions of hell had most likely visited portions of the shard realms, but then there are places that are surprisingly similar to our reality, only different in many important ways. They are very large realms, easily equivalent to our physical world in size and complexity. The physical laws that we accept here aren't necessarily the same in these other realms."

"Not the same? How are they different?"

"The physical boundaries that we accept for time and space constraints aren't always the same. Sometimes gravity works differently. Time is not a constant across all of the realms, and might move slower or faster than in our reality. Other things that you have to deal with as you encounter them exist there."

"Time isn't the same? How could that be different?"

"Your perception of time remains the same in whatever world you exist in, but in some places, you could spend a year there, and seconds would have passed here in our world. Conversely, there are realms where you could be there for minutes or seconds, and years would have passed here."

"Huh, that could be bad or good, depending on where you went. So that's it then?"

"Oh no, Bella, That's barely scratched the surface. There's much, much more that we know about, and probably even more that hasn't been discovered yet. There are mages that have dedicated their entire lives to a study of the planes and the nature of reality, and there is still so much we don't know yet."

I really had a lot more questions for Angela, but I was ready to go, and we needed to leave. I got up from the vanity, and started to collect the things I needed to take with me. I might be willing to wear a skirt to school, but I wasn't going to wear it to go practice with Sara. I stuffed my sneakers, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in my bag so I could change at Sara's house before we went out to our practice field. I didn't have to worry about toting books today because we had tests the rest of the week. I grabbed my new softball glove and I was good to go. Angela got up so we could leave.

"This is all amazing to me Angela. We really need to sit down and talk about this some more. You just seem to explain it so much more clearly than Sara does."

"Well, why don't you tell your father you're sleeping over one night, and we can sit up and talk about it?" Angela said as we went downstairs and out the front door. I locked it behind us with a gesture, and we walked down to her car.

"Besides, it'll help put his mind at ease for when you need an alibi and you don't really sleep over." She continued with a big grin on her face.

"Ok, what's a good night for you?"

"Any night works for me. You could come over tonight if he'll let you."

"Ok. I'll talk to him about it. I don't know if he'll let me after what happened this morning. I'm sorry if you get in trouble over this, Ang. Umm… Charlie said he was gonna call your parents. Thanks for covering for me."

"I won't get in trouble, Bella, but thanks for your concern. Your father won't hassle you about it, and he gave me back my pills. He isn't going to call my parents."

"He gave them back to you? Really? How do you know he isn't going to call your parents?"

"I asked him not too."

"And he just said ok? He seemed pretty upset about it…"

"I had to be persuasive, but he thought it was for the best."

"You said that before. What exactly do you mean? How were you persuasive?"

"It's something that's part of the mental disciplines I study. I don't do it very often, but it seemed necessary this morning. I couldn't let him call an ambulance or take you to the hospital."

"Oh… So is that kind of like the Kindred's ability to compel humans?"

"A little bit. From what I've heard, what I can do isn't as powerful, and it helps if the subject already wants to do what you're suggesting. In extreme cases I can exert a direct mind control, but it's extremely taxing, and the subject would remember it. It's much easier to give a little push to sway the subject to make a choice they already want to make. Sometimes I have to push harder, sometimes less."

"Let me guess, this isn't something I'll be able to learn?"

"Sorry, at least not from me. There are other paths to the same end."

"Ok, well we better hurry. Haley's gonna go crazy wondering what happened to us."

Angela drove past the turn onto Haley's street as I spoke, and I wondered what was going on, but she told me when she answered me.

"I already called her and told her to drive her car today but we still need to pick up Sara. I think we need to have a talk with her."

"Ok. I have some questions for Sara too. I understand the need to keep this private, but doesn't Haley know everything already?"

"She wouldn't take knowing that the Cullens are actually Kindred well, considering that she's dated some of them. I think we all know what really happens on those dates."

"I've been on a date with Edward, and that didn't happen."

"Really? He didn't bite you? I thought maybe you had let him. Are you sure you remember everything that happened?"

"He can't compel me or make me forget unless I let him. I can shield against that, Angela. We made out, but we didn't have sex. Well, we didn't go all the way, and I wouldn't let him bite me."

"Huh, ok. That's good to know. So he didn't try to compel you?"

"Not since that first day in Biology. It was an accident that time, and he kinda lost control for a minute, but he apologized later."

"Alright, we need to talk more about that. I also haven't taught Haley how to run on overdrive yet. She isn't ready for that yet. She's learned a lot in a short time, but I don't know if she'll ever reach a level of enlightenment where she'll be able to safely use that ability. If she knew about it, she could figure it out on her own, and you know how dangerous that could be. Sara shouldn't have taught you so soon, and she should have given you all the details up front."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. It would have been nice to know how to turn it off safely. So it could have been bad?"

"You could have fallen into a serious lingering coma if it had been more than just a couple of days and you pulled the plug like that. Something like that could kill you."

"Your abilities wouldn't have been enough to save me?"

"Not on this plane of existence. There are realities where I could save you from that and a lot more, but not on this Earth. There are things that could save you in this reality, only not as human."

We stopped in front of Sara's house, and she walked out the door and started toward the car. I had one more question for Angela before Sara got in the car.

"Not as human? Do you know about the healing properties of vampire blood?"

"Yes, but you'd have to become one of them for it to pull you out of that kind of coma."

"Huh. Ok." That made sense. I didn't like the implications of what that might mean, but I had to consider all of the possibilities.

Sara opened the door and got into the back seat.

"Where's Haley" Sara asked. "She'll have a hell of a time making up her tests if she's sick today."

"Haley isn't sick," Angela said as she pulled away from the curb and started for school. "I told her to drive her own car today. We needed to talk."

"Oh. What do we need to talk about?"

"I think we need to review your training plan for Bella."

"Why, what happened? Do we need to accelerate her program? Was there another incident with the Technomancers?"

"No, I think it's accelerated too much now already. You're skipping a lot of basics and fundamentals she needs to know. You're teaching her advanced techniques and leaving out important details. I think you need to slow down and cover the basics in more detail with her."

"Why, what happened?"

"She was nearly comatose when I went over to pick her up this morning, Sara. You showed her how to run in overdrive and suspend sleep, but you didn't show her how to turn it off. That could have killed her. That was irresponsible and dangerous."

"You turned it off? Why would you do that? I figured I could explain all the details today when we had time to talk. Everything seemed fine yesterday when we drove to school."

"I argued with my father last night. He figured out I was dating one of the Cullens, but I wouldn't tell him which one…"

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard for him to whittle down; two of them have steady girlfriends."

"Umm… Angela knows about the Cullens, Sara. She figured it out."

"Fine. Ok, two of them have wives. I figured you'd be up all night on the phone with Edward again, unless you found a way to sneak out again to go see him. I told you how long you could go with your kind of reserves. I figured I had at least a week before you'd even be curious about how to turn it off."

I shrugged. "Alice called me and said she told Edward not to call. She said my father would eavesdrop on our conversation and hear too much. I decided to try and catch up on my sleep, so I turned it off. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to just pull the plug."

"What, you couldn't surf the internet and watch porn for a couple of hours until your dad went to sleep? You could have read a book until he gave up and went to sleep. Hell, I figured you'd have climbed out your window to go visit him after that stunt you two pulled in Biology Class yesterday."

"Umm… What stunt?" I stammered as I blushed bright red.

"Don't play Miss Innocent with me. I'll admit that Illusion of Edward's was almost perfect, but it didn't stop my ears from hearing, or my nose from smelling. What, did you do him right in the middle of class?"

"No! We haven't even gone all the way, yet…"

"Ok, but you made out with him. Did you blow him in the middle of Biology class?"

I was bright red, and didn't want to answer that question. "Let's stick to the subject. You should have told me how to turn off the feedback loop when you showed me how to use it. How hard would it have been to say, 'Oh, by the way, don't turn that off until we talk or it could kill you'."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was in a hurry, but I should have taken the time to tell you. I thought you had it under control. I didn't think you'd turn it off so soon. Besides, it wouldn't have killed you…"

"Yeah, I wouldn't be dead; I'd be immortal, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"If it went on even longer, and I still didn't know about how to turn it off, I would have gone into a coma that would have killed me when I did decide to shut it off. The only thing that would have saved me would be getting turned to be a vampire. You know how Edward feels about me. You know he wouldn't let me die. He'd have to turn me, or we'd both die. Was that your plan all along?"

"So Edward has bonded with you. Then it's just a matter of time now."

"What do you mean, Bella?" Angela asked, confused. "What plan? Why would Sara want Edward to turn you? What's going on here?"

"Sara wants to be turned, Angela. She wants to join the Kindred, and be a vampire. That's why she didn't tell you about the Cullens when she found out about them. But Edward wouldn't turn her. None of his family would, and they tried to prevent her from meeting other vampires that might."

"You know, most of the Kindred I've met are a pretty stuck up snobbish bunch. They look down their noses at humans, and they barely accept us because we're even rarer than them."

"Then why do you want to be one?" I asked.

"I didn't say that was a bad thing. Besides, immortality is nothing to shake a stick at. I get an instant make over to look totally hot to any human I meet. I get to keep all of my powers and gain the ability to boost them exponentially, and best of all, I instantly become part of a much larger community that isn't being hunted to extinction by a bunch of half crazed mad scientists. Why wouldn't I want that?"

"And you were willing to sacrifice me to get it? Thanks Sara. I thought we were friends."

"I still don't understand," Angela said. "How would Edward turning you get her what she wants? How would Sara get turned out of that?"

"I'm supposed to turn her. That's what the favor is, isn't it. Something I could do for you in the future, but I didn't have the power to do yet, because I wasn't a vampire yet. You remember, I asked you how do you kill someone 'not permanently'? I should have realized then, but I hadn't talked to Alice yet. Simple answer, because they wake up three days later as an immortal."

"You are very intelligent. That's good. I'd hate to be bound to somebody who's an idiot for the rest of eternity."

"You know, if I turn you I'll be your Sire, and you won't have freewill until I release you."

"I would gladly accept that part if you'd do it voluntarily, but Edward wouldn't let you anymore than he'd let Alice. It's a moot point though. When I ask you, I'll make sure you release me as soon as I wake up, and I'll have my freewill intact."

"Aren't you being a little arrogant, Sara?" I asked. "We know what you're doing now. What makes you think we we're going to go along with now? Why would we possibly let this continue?"

"Well, you aren't going to tell anyone, Bella. You're my apprentice. You're bound to me. You will not do anything to prevent this or speak of this to anyone but the three of us, will you? Do you understand?"

I nodded my agreement although I didn't want too. "What about Angela?" I managed to stammer out.

"It seems Angela owes me a favor too. You're going to be a friend, Ang, and honor our agreement, aren't you? You aren't going to do anything to stop this or speak of this to anyone but the three of us about this matter, are you?"

"I can't believe you're doing this Sara! You're trying to force Edward to turn Bella just so you can be a vampire too? That's insane!"

"Maybe a little. That's par for the course, isn't it? We're all a little loose around the edges. How do you think we're able to make magick work? Besides, I'm not forcing Bella to do anything that isn't going to happen sooner or later anyhow. If anything, I might be a little guilty of jumping the gun a bit, but Edward will end up turning Bella. She's his mate. He's already started to bond to her. Eventually he'll claim her, and then he'll turn her." She turned to look at me, and looked me dead in the eye. "Tell me you don't want that."

"Oh, you're asking my opinion? I get a say in all of this?"

"No not really, but you already knew that. Answer my question and tell the truth."

I couldn't not tell her, I was compelled to speak. I was forced to tell the truth that I felt deep in my soul, even if I hadn't fully wrapped my head around the idea yet. I knew it was the truth when I spoke.

"Fine… If I'm going to be with Edward, then I want to be like him too. I love him… he'll die when I die, and I'm going to die someday if I'm still human. I can't let that happen."

"So I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't already want. I just get what I want out of what's already going to happen. Now park the car. We're going to be late for English if we don't hurry."

I turned to look at Angela. "Ang, what are we gonna do? We can't let her get away with this! She tried to get me killed!"

"I don't know, Bella… I know she's telling the truth… You're telling the truth too… You want this... Do we really need to stop anything?"

"But she tried to kill me!"

"You wouldn't have died permanently." Sara said. "Hell, I've died before. It isn't that bad. Edward would have saved you, and then you'd be like him. Besides, you know I'm not going to let anything truly bad happen to you."

"Really… Why not? It sounds pretty bad to me."

"Well, first off, I need you. Neither of us has been turned yet. And second, we're going to be together for a very long time, Bella. I might have figured out a way to insure that you release me, but everything else Edward told you about the relationship that we'll share will still be true. We'll look back at this day in a century or two and laugh and wonder why it was such a big deal."

"I doubt it."

"Fine, you wait and see. This will all work out for the best. Now, let's go take that English test."

We got out of the car and hurried into the school. The parking lot was pretty much deserted and we were the last ones to arrive. There was nobody waiting to greet us today, but I glanced across the street, and the police cruiser was parked in the same place it had been yesterday.

The hallway was almost empty when we entered the building, and we got to the classroom door as the bell rang. Mrs. Jensen glared at us as we filed into the room, but she didn't comment as we took our seats.

The English test wasn't hard, but it was long and required thought. The first part was easy and dealt with fundamentals and mechanics. The next section was a series of essay questions that required discussion of a particular theme, and finally the third section was an essay on the books we'd read for class this semester. It was a good thing we had an extended class period to do it. We used all of the allotted time, but then I assumed that was how Mrs. Jensen had planned it.

I hurried out of the classroom and went to American Government next. I wasn't expecting any challenge here. This test should be cake. I found a seat by Alice, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to talk to her about what had happened this morning. I couldn't even make a decision to tell her about it sometime later. It was frustrating, and I knew it was frustrating Alice too.

"What are you blocking, Bella?" Alice whispered to me.

I tried to tell her but I couldn't do it. The words wouldn't come out, and my thoughts kept drifting to other subjects.

"I can't tell you, Alice," I finally said.

"Fine, keep your secret then." She said in a huff.

I wanted to tell her but I couldn't

"It's not a secret," I managed to stammer out.

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you, Alice." There were beads of sweat forming on my forehead as I fought against the binding, but I couldn't say anymore.

"Oh… I get it. It's a binding. Well welcome to the club. It's frustrating, isn't it?"

I nodded, and hoped she'd try and guess more. If she kept asking me questions, I might be able to get her to help, but she dropped it and let it go.

"Edward told me to tell you he's sorry he didn't get to call you last night. He want's to know if he can drive you to Sara's after school, as long as your father isn't out there still."

"That's fine. My dad's gonna find out about Edward sooner or later. He can drive me, but I have my counseling session with Mr. Reese after school today. He can meet me here, and then we can go. Umm, I might have a doctor's appointment this afternoon…"

Alice's eyes got a far away look for a second. "Nope, it's tomorrow, before you go to work. What do you need sleeping pills for?"

"Umm… That thing Sara showed me. You know, I guess they call it overdrive… The pills help to ramp off the energy. Apparently it's dangerous to just turn it off." I couldn't believe I was only telling Alice that much. I wanted to tell her so much more, but I couldn't.

"Huh, ok. Why do you even bother sleeping if you don't have too? I suppose dreams might be fun, but it seems like a huge waste of time to me."

"I might as well enjoy being human while I still can. Who knows, maybe I'll even remember some of this."

That made Alice squeal as she bounced in her seat. Heads were turning in our direction, and she had to sit still and clam down as Mr. Reese came around and handed out the tests.

I was right, the test was cake. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a published test that came with the text books. It was all true and false or multiple choice questions. I just scanned down the page and filled in the answers. Alice and I were both done about halfway through the allotted time. Alice got up and laid her test on Mr. Reese's desk, and I was about twenty seconds behind her.

"So do we have to stay for the rest of the period?" Alice asked when I laid my test on top of hers.

"No. What class do you have next?" Mr. Reese asked.

"We both have gym next." I said.

"Alright. You can either go to the library, or you can go to gym early if you like. Lunch is last period today. You can stay for lunch or leave early after your gym class. It's up to you."

"C'mon, Bella," Alice said as we went back to get our things to leave. "Let's go to the gym. I want to try out my new glove and see what you've got."

"Fine. Did you bring your mask too? I don't want to hurt you, Alice."

"God, you're as bad as Edward!" Alice complained as we went out the door. "I can catch whatever you can pitch, and I'll see it coming a mile away."

I glared at her and raised an eyebrow as I waited for her answer.

"Fine, yes I brought it. Edward wanted me to wait for the rest of the protective gear to be delivered, but I told him I didn't think the coach would wait that long."

"How do you even know if she'll let you play catcher."

Alice tapped the side of her head with her fingertip again. "She'll let me. Our catcher graduated last year and she hasn't filled the position yet. It's mine if I volunteer for it. Nobody else wants it, and she was gonna have to assign a couple of people to learn it."

"Ok, I guess that makes sense."

We walked into the locker room, and it was deserted because it was the middle of the period. I stuck my head out the door to look into the gym, and Coach Newhouse was standing back watching the kids play dodge ball. She saw me and came over to find out what was going on.

"You two finished your test already?" The Coach asked.

"Yeah, Coach, Mr. Reese said we could go to the library, or come over here early."

"Ok, get dressed. You can start warming up, Swan. Did you get a glove?"

I held it up so she could see it and she nodded approval.

"What about you, Cullen? I guess you can go join the dodge ball game."

"I'm gonna warm Bella up. I'm your new catcher."

"Catcher, huh? I thought none of you Cullen's played any sports? Coach Clapp has been after your brother's to go out for sports since they moved here. Why the sudden change?"

"The game and practice schedule always conflicted with our family camping trips, but Bella's my friend. She said she was going out for the team, so I asked my dad, and he said it was ok."

"Ok, get dressed, and I'll see what you've got. It might take me a while to dig out the catcher gear."

"Don't bother. None of it would fit me anyhow. I've got my own."

"Huh, ok. You sound confident. That's good in a catcher. Maybe we'll have a team this year after all. I figured we were back to building. We lost a lot of girls, but some of those eighth graders are pretty good."

She turned and walked away, and we went back into the locker room to dress out. Nobody else had showed up yet, and we chatted as we got changed.

"Eighth graders? What did she mean by that?"

"This is a small school, Bella. Sometimes there aren't enough girls in high school to make a team. Half of the season is during summer vacation. They let girls play their first year in eighth grade because they'll be freshmen by the end of the season. It gives them a bigger pool of girls to pick from, but with as few as go out, everyone that signs up will be on the team."

"How many girls do we need? There's four of us with you, me, Haley and Michaela. Don't we only need eight or nine girls?"

"Yep, nine to cover all the positions, but you want some subs and backups. You never know when somebody might get sick or injured. Well, at least you don't. It's rare to play the whole game at this level. Most of the girls need to take a break and let somebody else play for an inning or two while they rest."

"Ok… Are you gonna be alright with this, Alice? Edward and I talked last night…"

"Don't worry, Bella, I've got this. Edward is a worrywart. I can keep my hands to my hands to myself. That is assuming you want me to keep my hands to myself…"

"Yes! Umm… No offense, Alice, but I'd prefer to just stay friends, if that's ok with you. I'll stick with Edward if that's ok with you."

"Sure, that's cool with me. I'd just as soon stick with Jazz, but you know, you really shouldn't knock it until you've tried it. There really are a lot of cute girls here, and if you think about it, playing with girls isn't too much different from what you've been doing with Edward and Mike. Trust me, it's different, but it's a lot of fun too."

"Umm… how is it different?"

"Well, another girl just knows how to touch you. She knows what's going to feel good to you because it feels good to her too. You know how guys can be rough sometimes, or they drive you crazy because they just don't get it quite right? They think they know what's going to feel good, but they don't really know. It's just different. You need to try it to really understand."

"I don't know… I like boys… and I'm really into Edward right now…"

"I like boys too, and I'm married to Jazz. He lets me play. You know Edward would let you too. Don't sweat it. Just do what feels right. That's what it's all about."

"Ok… Let's go play baseball. I'll think about it." I said as we moved toward the door.

"Ok. So, how much do you know about the game? What have you done before?"

"Umm… I've watched it on TV with my dad before, but I wasn't really paying attention. I know you hit the ball and run around the bases. Haley has been telling me about some of the rules…"

"Nothing? You haven't even thrown a ball or played catch before?"

"Nope. Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily, but we have our work cut out for us if we're going to turn you into a pitcher."

"Why do you say that?"

"You're seventeen, right? And you've never even picked up a ball? Some of these girls that pitch for the teams we'll be playing have been practicing every day since they were nine. It's not uncommon for them to throw five or six hundred pitches a week in practice. You need to develop enough stamina and control to throw between a hundred and a hundred and twenty-five controlled pitches just to make it through a game."

"It doesn't look that hard. I've seen it on TV…"

"That's baseball, Bella. We're playing softball. The mechanics are completely different. Have you even seen somebody throw a windmill pitch? You know you have to throw the ball underhand, right?"

"Oh… Underhand? Really? That just seems so awkward…"

"C'mon, let's get started. You need to get warmed up before you do anything. Let's jog around the gym for a bit." Alice leaned closer to whisper in my ear. "Do what you have to, so you don't fall down, but use your muscles to move, so you really get warmed up. The point of this is to loosen up, so you don't strain a muscle and hurt yourself."

So we jogged to warm up. Alice made us take three laps and I was starting to feel it. I waited until we were on the far side of the gym before I questioned her.

"Why are we doing this, Alice? It's not like I'm really gonna throw the ball…"

"Yes you are, Bella. It has to look real. You need to learn the mechanics of throwing a pitch, and no matter how much hocus-pocus you use, you're going to have to really learn how to throw a pitch and make it look real. That means you need to know how to do it for real. You can do whatever you like after the ball leaves your hand, but people who really know how to pitch are going to be watching you."

"Oh… That makes sense…"

"Yeah, I thought so. So you need to warm up and loosen up your muscles. After we finish this lap, we'll do some stretching…"

"Stretching?"

"Don't worry, I'll show you how."

"Why do I need to stretch?"

"You need to take the time to get your body ready to throw. You're human, and your muscles and ligaments and tendons need to be prepared for the strain or you run the risk of injuring yourself. Besides, taking adequate time for preparation will make you more accurate and let you throw the ball faster."

So we got back by the locker room and stretched to loosen up until Alice was satisfied that I was ready. She got up and lightly tossed me the ball. I bobbled it around, but I didn't drop it.

"Oh, you mean we get to use the ball now?"

"Ha ha, just get your glove, Smart Ass. Let's play catch while you get the feel of it. You need to work your throwing arm."

"Ok… What do I do?"

"Throw the ball, Bella." I tossed it back to her, but she was like four feet away.

"Then catch it when I throw it back." She tossed the ball back to me, and I bobbled it around again, trying to use both hands.

"Use your glove to catch the ball then throw it back with your other hand."

I nodded and tossed the ball back.

"That's good."

She took a step back and tossed the ball back to me. I caught it in my glove this time, and reached for it to throw it back.

"We'll just start with easy overhand throws from a shorter distance. Let's just practice this for a while, and as you gain confidence, we can move further apart. We'll gradually work back to longer distance and harder overhand throwing."

So we played catch. I just threw the ball as we worked further apart. Sometimes I'd take a step back, but mostly it was Alice that controlled when we let the distance get longer.

Soon we were throwing the ball back and forth halfway across the gym. Once we started to move further apart, I had to start using what I'd been practicing with Sara to pull the ball into my glove. I worked on developing what I thought was a good arm motion to throw the ball, but I didn't really have much power on my own. I had to help the ball, but I thought it looked pretty natural as it sailed through the air into Alice's glove. Maybe the arc was just a little too flat, but that just made it look like I was putting more into and putting some heat on the ball.

The bell rang and rang again as the period changed. Coach Newhouse came over to watch us, and after a while, Haley and Michaela came out to start warming up with us. The coach called us together before our class period started.

"Swan, Cullen, c'mon in," the coach called to us, and motioned with her arm to get our attention.

Alice and I jogged over to the Coach, and met Haley and Michaela as they walked out of the locker room. They seemed surprised to see Alice tossing the ball to smack into her catcher's mitt as she joined our group.

"Are you going out for softball too, Alice?" Haley asked with a note of surprise in her voice.

"I didn't think you guy's played sports." Michaela said a little accusingly.

"You guy's talked Bella into going out, so I asked my dad, and he finally said ok."

"You looked good out there, Cullen, and you did a good job getting Swan warmed up." Coach Newhouse said. "Are you sure you've never played before?"

Alice shrugged. "I've never played on any kind of formal team. My family plays ball when we go camping. I've done a lot on my own and kept up with the sport. I've worked a lot on the fundamentals, but I'm looking forward to putting it into practice this season."

"Good. Do you know the basic pitching drills? You and Swan here are going to be a team if you're going to play catcher."

Alice held the ball by her hip, and then flicked her wrist as the ball rolled off her finger tips and popped up into the air in front of her eyes, spinning in midair. She snagged it with her catcher's mitt when it started to drop.

"I know a few tricks. I'll get Bella up to speed, no problem."

"Good. O'Donnell, Clark, you two get warmed up. Cullen, you keep working with Swan and teach her some basic drills. Then the four of you can start working together on some drills and practice throwing the ball around."

Coach Newhouse walked off to get the rest of the class going while Haley and Michaela started jogging.

"What was that trick you showed the Coach, Alice?"

"The first thing you're going to learn. Here, take the ball," and she tossed it to me.

"Ok, what do I do?"

"Look at how you're holding the ball. The first thing you need to learn is your grip. Now there is no definite right or wrong way for a beginning pitcher to hold the ball, but I'm going to teach you the "4-seam" grip. Every pitcher should start by using a "4-seam" grip. It causes the pitched ball to rotate top-to-bottom with all four seams cutting the air when it spins."

"Ok."

"Now, you want to place the pads of your fingers on the seams on the side of the "U" or horseshoe on the ball. The seam should look like a reverse "C" when you're holding the ball. Grip the ball firmly, but there should be a little gap between the palm of your hand and the ball."

I held the ball like Alice had explained, and it didn't feel too bad. I could get used to this.

"That's good, Bella. Memorize how that feels, and get used to it. That's how you're going to hold the ball every time you throw a pitch until we start working on advanced techniques."

"Ok, what do I do next?"

"You need to learn how to flick your wrist when you release. Hold the ball with your arm hanging down extended and your palm facing up or forward by your hip. That's your release position when you let go of the ball. Now, I want you to flick your wrist and pop the ball up into the air. The ball should roll off your fingertips and spin when you toss it up."

I tried to do what she had demonstrated and explained, but I kept bending my elbow and tossing the ball instead of popping it up. Alice let me try for a while and caught the ball for me as she gave me pointers.

"Here, let's try another drill that might help you get the hang of this. Take a knee, but keep your left foot flat on the floor."

I got down on one knee like she said.

"Ok, what do I do now?"

"Keep flicking the ball into the air, but I want you to reach under your leg with your throwing hand to pop up the ball. You won't be able to use your arm, and you'll have to use your wrist to toss the ball up."

It wasn't too awkward doing what she had explained, and it was a lot easier to practice the wrist motion she wanted me to learn this way. I practiced it until I was fairly consistently flipping the ball up into the air and watching it spin as it rolled off my fingertips.

Alice let me get up about the time Haley and Michaela finished stretching and started playing catch. She finally showed me all the steps in actually throwing a pitch and had me practice it in slow motion until I was comfortable with how I was supposed to move to pitch the ball. We started throwing the ball back and forth again, but this time she wanted me to use the pitching motion to throw slow easy underhand lobs to her.

We worked gradually further apart again as I gained confidence and threw the ball harder and faster. Haley and Michaela joined us, and Haley took up a position off to my right, while Michaela moved off to my left behind me. Alice had gotten out her catcher's mask was in her crouch now, and I'd throw the ball to her. I wasn't ready to call them pitches yet, but I was getting more comfortable with the idea. She had to do a lot of scrambling around to field my throws, but nothing got past her. She'd pop up then, and snap off a throw to Haley or Michaela, and then they'd feed the ball back to me.

It was our first day, getting ready for the upcoming season, and Coach Newhouse didn't interfere or come give us any further instruction. She called us together at the end of class when the rest of the kids started off towards the locker room.

"Ok, girl's, you looked good out there today for you first pre-season warm-up, but here's the deal. I'm going to be your Softball Coach when the season starts. According to the league rules, we're not allowed to hold official practices until a couple of weeks before the season starts. You're allowed to attend as many camps or clinics pre-season as you like, and we're allowed to hold two training clinics as long as they're open to all comers."

"So what about what we're doing now?" Haley asked. "This won't get us disqualified for the season, will it?"

"Not as long as I don't officially work with you to coach you. You can bring your gear to class, and use this class time to get up to speed for the season. It doesn't count against you to work on your own as long as I don't interfere or coach you. O'Donnell, Clark, you know which girls are planning to go out for softball. Talk to them, and tell them they can work with you guys or during their gym class if they don't want to play whatever we have scheduled for gym."

"Ok…" Haley said a little tentatively, but both her and Michaela nodded agreement.

"Cullen, you did good work with Swan here today. She's shaping up nicely for a nooby pitcher. Good job Swan. Usually it takes a lot longer for a new girl to pick it up and make as much progress as you did today. Keep it up."

"Thanks Coach," I said, and Alice and I both nodded to her.

"Cullen, you seem to know what you're doing out there. Work up some drills, and keep after'em. We should be ready to hit the field running when we can start official practices with you guys working out in class to get warmed up for the season."

"Sure, Coach," Alice said, and the rest of us nodded.

"Good, now hit the showers."

We turned and collected our gear, and jogged to the locker room to change. I needed a shower today after the workout I'd had, but I felt good and ready to take on anything. A lot of the girls were just wiping down and getting dressed to leave. They were probably planning on skipping lunch and leaving early.

Alice went to her locker and grabbed her clothes to change while I got ready to shower, but then she hadn't even broken a sweat, while my tank top was practically sticking to me.

"Are you staying for lunch, Alice?" I asked.

"No, Jazz and I are taking off early… Umm… he wants to go scout some of the hiking trails, and see if it's too early for camping yet…"

"Ok," I said as I walked to the showers. Scouting indeed, I had a feeling that was a euphemism for 'I'm going hunting with Jasper', but she couldn't just say that in front of the girls in the locker room.

I showered and changed and got my things to go to the cafeteria for lunch. The school seemed deserted as I walked through the courtyard. Apparently everyone that lived in town or had their own car was already gone. The only people walking in to eat lunch were the kids that rode the bus, or had an after school appointment like me. Angela and Sara were waiting for me by the door.

"Did you have fun in gym?" Sara asked. I ignored her and turned to Angela.

"You don't have to wait for me, Ang, if you want to take off. Edward is going to drive me over to Sara's house after my meeting today."

"Ok, Bella. Are you sure? It's no problem for me to wait…"

"No, go ahead unless you wanted to stay and eat lunch here."

"Ok. Sara, are you ready to go, or did you want to stay and eat lunch?"

"School lunch? Not if we don't have too. Let's pick up something in town before you drop me off." Then Sara turned to me. "I'll see you after you're done with your appointment?" She phrased it as a question, but there was no doubt that I would be there.

"Yes, I'll be there." I answered although I tried not to. I knew I would be. I didn't have any choice in the matter. I looked around to be sure we were alone, and everyone had either already gone into the cafeteria or left.

I turned to Angela. "How can you be so complacent about this? You're going to lunch with her? You know what she tried to do to me and what she has planned."

"Her methods are somewhat high handed, but you said yourself it's what you want too, Bella. Is there really anything to stop? Trust me, I'd be more upset if you didn't want it and she was forcing this on you against your will. I'll support whatever you want, but you need to examine your own feelings and decide how you're going to live your life. We both know you were telling the truth in the car this morning. It's what you want. Are you still going to talk to your father about coming over tonight?"

"Yeah. We're still friends, Ang. I'll call you if he says ok. Alright?

"Ok, I'll see you later then. He'll say yes if you ask him," and Sara and Angela turned to walk out to the parking lot.

I walked into the cafeteria, and there was nobody in line at the counter. I looked around the room and spotted Edward sitting alone at a table on the far side of the room with a tray in front of him. He waved, beckoning me over, and I walked over to him.

"Hi Edward," I said as I sat beside him, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. Mrs. Olsen was lunch room monitor today, and she glared at my minor PDA, but I ignored her and scooted closer to him. All was right with the world when I was with Edward.

Edward had bought us lunch again. He had a green salad, and it looked like he had gotten the grilled chicken patty and sliced it up into chunks to add to his salad. I picked up my grilled chicken sandwich off of the tray and nibbled at it as we talked.

"You seem despondent, love. I saw you arguing with Angela and Sara. Is there something I can do to cheer you up?"

"Just being close to you improves my mood. I was feeling pretty good before I got here. Gym went well. Alice is teaching me how to pitch. She's a really good teacher."

"That's good. I'm glad you enjoy it. I told Alice to make sure you're safe before you actually pitch a ball to a human batter."

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"I'm just looking out for your best interests, love. You would be beyond despondent if you injured a girl or worse. Don't worry, love, Alice will make sure you can pitch. She doesn't get to play if you can't."

"Ok. I'll be ready by the time the season starts, anyhow." I looked around the room to make sure nobody would overhear us, but there wasn't anyone sitting close to us. "I need to ask you a question, Edward, and I'd like an honest answer."

"I'm always honest, love."

"I know you lie when it's necessary or convenient or you think you're protecting me. Sometimes you only say enough to answer the literal meaning of the words while skirting the spirit of the question. This should be fairly easy for you to give a straight answer."

"Ok… Ask your question."

I finished my sandwich and took the other salad off the tray and poured the Thousand Island dressing over the top. I thought it looked great, but Edward shuddered when he watched me spear a forkful and eat it before I went on.

"You know Sara is teaching me, and I'm her apprentice."

"Yes…"

"So how does somebody become not an apprentice anymore?"

"Did you and Sara have a falling out, love? I thought you were friends?"

"I thought so too."

"What happened?"

I wanted to tell him so bad. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead as I strained against the binding, but I couldn't form the words. Finally I said in a rush, "I'm not allowed to talk about it." I took several deep breaths to calm down, and Edward was visibly upset at my display.

"Please just answer the question," I pleaded with him in a hushed voice.

"Alright love… Ending your apprenticeship is much like graduating from high school. Really it depends upon the nature of the apprenticeship. Some apprenticeships are friendly and informal. When your Master or Mistress determines that you're sufficiently knowledgeable to make your own way in the world, they acknowledge that fact, and send you on your way. Other apprenticeships are more formal, and usually are bound by a contract or pact." I nodded as Edward spoke. "Somehow, I believe you have the more formal sort of apprenticeship."

"Blood Pact."

"Yes, very formal. Without reading your contract and seeing if there are any special clauses, I can tell you how they usually work. There are generally three ways to end your apprenticeship, and satisfy the terms of the pact. First, your Mistress can release you from the pact. This is a kin to the informal method of acknowledging that you are ready to strike out on your own."

"Well, that's not going to happen anytime soon. What are the other two ways?"

"You can appear before a board of your peers and request formal examination. Your abilities will be tested, and if you pass, the pact is dissolved."

"I'm not ready for any kind of testing or examination. Even I know I have a lot to learn. What's the third method?"

"Challenge your Master or Mistress to a duel, and win."

"Win how? Best two out of three? On points?"

"Generally it's a duel to the death or until you force them to submit... No pact if there's nobody to be bound to. Otherwise you force them to release you. It's generally accepted that if you're good enough to beat them in a fair fight, you're ready to move on."

"Oh… Nope, no joy there. Sara would eat me for lunch."

"That's my job, love."

I glared at him. "This is serious. Stick to the subject."

"Alright. Your Mistress could also transfer your apprenticeship to another teacher, but they would have to do this voluntarily."

"Well, that doesn't help either. She isn't going to do that."

"I could talk to her, and see if she'd be willing to allow somebody else to take over your training…"

"Why? Do you want the job?" I asked with a smirk. "Isn't that a conflict of interest? Just what exactly are you planning on teaching me?"

"Oh, I have many things to teach you, Miss Swan, but actually I was thinking Carlisle would make an excellent choice for a Mentor for you."

"Carlisle?"

"He is an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable. He was my teacher when I was an apprentice."

"Well, you obviously didn't duel him, did he release you?"

"I took the examinations and stood my boards. I passed the first time through, and was certified a journeyman sage. I have since achieved master status among our peers."

"Huh… Ok. I'm sure Carlisle would make an excellent teacher, but it's a moot point. Sara isn't going to release me or transfer my contract."

"Why do you say that? Maybe if I talked to her, I could convince her…"

"You can't compel her Edward, you know that."

"I didn't mean like that… Maybe there's something she wants."

"You know what she wants…"

"Oh… Maybe there's something else she wants."

"Well, you've known her longer than I have. You tell me. Is there something she wants more?"

Edward sighed. "No, you're right."

"If you want Carlisle to be my teacher instead of Sara, you know what you have to do."

"Maybe Sara can be reasoned with. What is this thing she's done that's gotten you so upset that you want to leave her?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss it, Edward. You know how that works… Believe me when I say I want to tell you, but you'll have to ask her"

"Ok." Edward glanced up at the clock. "Are you done with lunch, love? By the time we walk to your appointment, lunch will be over. How long do these meetings this usually take?"

I put my Styrofoam bowl back on the tray. I helped Edward collect everything back onto our tray, and then got up to leave.

"Not long. I'm usually out in ten or fifteen minutes. You can wait out in your car in the parking lot if you don't want to stand in the hallway…"

"I might step out for a smoke but I'll be waiting for you when you're done, Love."

"You're not going to listen, are you? Sometimes we talk about private things…" I hadn't discussed my past with Edward yet, and I didn't want him picking the details out of Mr. Reese's head while he stood in the hallway.

"I'll respect your privacy if you like. I try not to listen in to things that don't concern my family's security."

"Please, if you don't mind. I'd prefer to discuss my past with you in private, when it's just the two of us."

Edward nodded in agreement. I took Edward's hand after he dumped our tray, and we walked out of the cafeteria toward Mr. Reese's classroom. He glanced back down the hallway to be sure we were alone, and then he pulled me into his arms. My body molded to his as he leaned down and his lips found mine. My arms snaked around his neck and my fingers tangled in his hair as I tried to pull him closer and deepen the kiss, but then he was pulling away, stepping back, breaking the kiss.

"There'll be time later, love. Go talk to Mr. Reese now, and then we'll go, alright?"

I nodded as he stepped away. "Ok…" I agreed reluctantly.

He took another step back, and I let go of him. Then he turned and was striding down the hallway. I had a feeling he needed the physical distance to allow me to go, and it was just as hard for him when we were apart as it was for me. My sense of well being that I felt in his presence faded as he walked away, and it was a little like coming down after a pleasant high. Edward Cullen was my drug of choice now, and I couldn't wait to be with him again.

I sighed and reached for the door to pull it open. This shouldn't take too long. So far this had really been just a formality. My grades were perfect, and I wasn't getting into any trouble here in Forks. Well, at least not the kind Mr. Reese was in charge of monitoring. Usually I was in and out in a couple of minutes after we discussed my week.

The familiar creepy sense of dread I felt when I was alone with Mr. Reese was doing double time today and I just wanted to get this over with. I could feel him undressing me with his eyes as I walked across the room, and a chill ran down my spine as I looked at the grin on his face. It felt like he was hiding something and he was finally ready to let me in on the secret.

"C'mon in Bella, here, have a seat by my desk."

I nodded as I walked up to his desk. He had a largish upholstered chair pulled up next to his desk today instead of the straight backed wooden chair in front where I usually sat. I sat down in it and crossed my legs while he sat and went through some papers in a file.

Then he sat back with an appraising look in his eye as he looked me up and down and a hint of a smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. I gave an involuntary shudder as he stared at me. It wasn't the way a teacher was supposed to look at a student, and it made me feel uncomfortable.

"I have to say, I'm very disappointed in your behavior since you moved to Forks, Bella."

"What?" I asked in shock.

"We gave you this second chance to get your life back on track, but you're just squandering this opportunity…"

"What the hell are you talking about? My grades are perfect, and I haven't done anything that's required any sort of disciplinary action…"

"You're failing my class, Bella, and I have your drug test results here…"

"Your class is the easiest class I have! What drug test results…? I haven't taken any drug tests!"

"Oh… Didn't I explain that part when we started these sessions? You're required to provide a sample each week for drug testing. You signed the consent form. Its ok, I took care of that little formality. I must say you've been a very bad girl since you moved to Forks."

He opened his drawer and took something out. I recognized it immediately. It was a small Ziploc baggie of white powder. It could be any number of drugs, but my guess was speed, probably meth.

"After I found this in your bag today, you're going to be in a lot of trouble."

"It's a lie! Nobody's going to believe you! My dad is going to arrest you, you bastard!"

"I don't think so, Bella. He called me this morning to check up on you. He asked if I was noticing any strange behavior at school. He gave me the impression that he's caught you with some other drugs in your possession. I think he's starting to suspect that you aren't telling him the whole truth about your drug problem…"

"I don't have a drug problem!"

Reese shrugged. "That's up to you. I have enough evidence to send you to juvenile detention until you're eighteen, and if you aren't careful, they might even try you as an adult. I found these drugs on school property. That's a federal offense. They might lock you up until you're twenty-one or longer."

"You bastard! You aren't going to get away with this! I haven't done anything!"

"Unfortunately nobody's going to believe you, Bella. You have a track record for rebellion, and you have a history of drug use. This could be very bad for you…

"I can't believe you're doing this to me! Why are you trying to ruin my life?"

"You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can figure it out. You know, maybe if you were real nice to me, I might be able to make all of this go away."

"Nice to you…? Nice to you how?"

"I know you were dating that Newton punk. He's a punk kid but he's a player and he scores a lot of tail. You've been hanging all over Cullen now, and he's the biggest player at this school. Every girl he dates spreads for him. I think we're going to get to know each other a lot better if you're going to keep going to school here…"

He slid his chair closer to mine, and I realized he was close enough to touch me like this.

"Tell me, are you wearing any panties today?"

"Get away from me! My boyfriend's waiting for me in the hall!"

"He won't come in here if he knows what's good for him. Now be a good girl and we can both have some fun."

He put his hand on my knee and started to slide it under my skirt.

"I just want a little piece of the action, Bella. Be nice to me, and then you can go fuck your boyfriend all you like."

"No! Get away from me!" I yelled at him as I tried to push his hand off of me.

"You'll shut up and do what you're told, slut! Or you can go to county and stand trial for drug possession!"

He was out of his chair as he moved closer to me. His hand was up under my skirt now pushing between my legs. I tried to squirm away, but his body was pressed against me keeping me on the chair while he groped my chest and his hand closed on my breast, roughly squeezing it.

"Stop that! Get your hands off of me!" I yelled in his face.

But he didn't stop. He was pushing my knees apart with his as he moved onto me. I slapped him and tried to push him back, but he was bigger and stronger than me.

His hand cracked against the side of my head dazing me, as he slapped me back. Then his hand pushed between my legs as he rudely groped my crotch.

"Don't be like this, Bella. I want more than one time with you. Do you really want to go give it up to all those girls at county? You'll like this a lot more…"

His fingers curled inside the triangle at the front of my panties as he tried to yank them away…

I snapped. I wasn't going to let this bastard get away with this. I threw him off of me, but he didn't slam into the wall like Mike had. I was learning control. I let him hang by his neck wide eyed and kicking as I stood up and straightened my clothes. I provided enough support for his shoulders that he wasn't exactly strangling yet, but not nearly enough for him to be comfortable as his eyes bugged out and he fought for every breath.

"You're going to try and blackmail me?" I asked as I extended my hand and let a ball of living flame coalesce on the palm of my hand.

"You're going to try and rape me?" I screamed at him. Reese's eyes got even bigger as he stared at the fire enveloping my hand.

"God, did you ever pick the wrong day, you fucking bastard! I am so not in the mood to be blackmailed by anybody else today!"

A tongue of flame lanced out from my hand and burned a neat round hole in his shirt. I let it sear into him as he whined and moaned in agony where his flesh sizzled under the flame, but I had his jaw locked tight so he couldn't scream.

"Maybe I'm being too nice. Maybe I should just burn it off, so you don't hassle anymore girls. Hmm… what do you think, fucking bastard!"

The first tongue of flame faded away, and another tongue of flame lanced out at his crotch. His eyes got bigger as he tried to look down at the tongue of flame slowly burning through the fabric of his jeans

"No! Please, god let me go!" He managed to stammer out as he writhed and kicked.

He was just starting to scream when suddenly the door burst open and Edward was charging into the room. He was growling and snarling and hardly looked human, but he rocked back on his heels and pulled up short when he saw Reese hanging in mid air.

"It's about time you showed up," I said as I glared at Edward. "Do you know what this bastard was trying to pull?"

"You seem to have the situation in hand, love. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I was trying to give you privacy for your counseling session. I checked his thoughts to see if you were about finished when I gauged the lecherous nature of his intentions. I got here as soon as I could."

"If it was any other girl at this school, he would have been raping me by the time you got here! This son of a bitch was going to try and blackmail me into having sex with him! He tried to rape me right here in the fucking classroom!"

That wasn't really fair to Edward. I'd asked him not to watch, but I was pissed off, and I didn't care. I could make it up to him later. Edward growled malevolently as he glared at Reese. I thought Edward was going to leap and pounce on him, but a shudder ran through his body as he fought for control.

"Step out into the hallway, Bella." Edward hissed quietly through his teeth. "I'll handle this. I don't think you want to see this…"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll end this," He growled. "There's only one way to deal with worthless scum like this…"

"No! You can't kill him Edward."

"It'll be over quickly. I'll be merciful, although he doesn't deserve it."

Reese's eyes were huge as he hung there struggling to get free while he listened to us argue about killing him.

"You can't kill a teacher at school, Edward. People will notice. You'll have to leave… I don't want you to have to run…"

"I won't have to leave. We can make it look like an accident. It wouldn't be the first time we had to cover up an inconvenient death. We can plant clues that he had to leave suddenly. By the time they find the body, nobody will be able to tell how he died…"

Reese squirmed and kicked, and I heard him whine, "No!"

"You told me you didn't kill people anymore… You don't hunt humans for blood anymore…"

"I don't want one drop of his vile blood to pollute my system. He's a predator, Bella. I know his kind well. You aren't his only victim."

I turned to glare at Reese. "How many more?"

Edward answered for him. "Another girl at school here, it's been going on for over a year now. Two more girls at the alternative school, and a boy he's been victimizing. He doesn't have a girlfriend. Apparently these schemes are more to his liking. He date raped three…, no four girls in college. He convinced one of them that she provoked it, and they maintained an abusive quasi-rape relationship until he graduated and then dumped her. There was another series of date rapes with girls he picked up in clubs before he took this job. I can't be sure of the numbers, they blur together in his memories. There were at least six, possibly more. Most of those were drugged unconscious while he had his way with them."

"Do you have to kill him? That just sounds like he's getting off too easy to me. He should suffer more."

"That sounds interesting. What did you have in mind?"

"Can you make him forget about this happening?"

"Not without severely injuring him first and I really don't want to have to heal him after."

"Fine, but you can compel him not to tell anyone about this, ever, right?"

"Yes, that's possible."

"Ok. I want him to fix my grades so I acing his class like I should be. He's going to destroy all of the evidence that he's fabricated against me. Then he's going to collect all of the evidence linking him to the other crimes that he's committed. He has evidence, right?"

"Yes, pictures, fabricated records, several video tapes, and a number of journals documenting his exploits."

"Ok. Have him destroy any journal entries that refer to me in particular, and then he's going to take all of that to the Sherriff's office in Port Angeles, and turn himself in. He's going to vigorously campaign for the longest prison term possible, and do everything in his power to piss off the judge that tries his case."

"You are rather devious, love."

"I do what I can. Oh, and once he's in jail or prison, he going to tell every other inmate that he meets, that the only way he can get off is to take it in the ass."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Ms. Swan. Now, let him go so I can get started."

"Fine." I flexed my grip on Reese, briefly squeezing tighter as he whimpered and whined at the invisible constriction. Then I let him drop to the floor.

He landed in a heap, and Edward pounced on him like a cat leaping to snatch a rat. He threw him up against the wall as he growled in his face.

"What are you people?" Reese gasped through his teeth as he had the wind knocked out of him by the sudden movement. He struggled, but he was no match for Edward.

"Your worst nightmare," Edward growled in his face, "at least until you make a new boyfriend in prison."

"No! You can't do this to me…" Reese whined, but he shut up as Edward stared deeply into his eyes and started to whisper into his ear.

We stayed until he was seated at his desk, shredding my file and correcting my grades in his grade book. Edward checked his laptop, and made sure he hadn't uploaded anything to the schools server yet. Then he took my hand and led me out of the room once he was satisfied that Reese was following his instructions.

"Are you sure we shouldn't stay and wait until he drives to the Sherriff's office?" I asked Edward.

"Trust me, Bella; he'll do what he's been told. It would have been more satisfying to just kill him, but this does have a sort of poetic justice."

The school was deserted by the time we left and we walked through the empty hallways and out to the parking lot where very few cars were still parked.

"I thought you didn't kill people anymore? You seem awfully blood thirsty today."

"This is hardly blood thirsty, love. He is still alive and he more than deserved death. I don't eat people anymore, but I kill when I'm forced to or if they truly deserve it."

"But you haven't killed anyone for a long time, right?"

"Not in this reality. No, not for many years now. At least not any humans on this Earth."

Edward held the door for me, and I got into the passenger seat of his car. He ran around and got in, and we left to drive to Sara's house.

"Not in this reality? So, what other realities have you been to?"

"You have a basic understanding of the Tellurian?"

I nodded to agree with him, "Yeah, sure. We've discussed it."

"Emmett and I went on an expedition to one of the shard realms a couple of months ago. I needed some reagents for some research I'm working on. We were required to defend ourselves on more than one occasion."

"Defend yourselves? And you had to kill somebody?"

"That's generally what happens when somebody attacks you if you want to live to tell the tale. I often have to make trips outside of this plane of existence to acquire the items I need for my research. Would it help any if I told you that they weren't entirely human?"

"Oh… I guess so… as long as it was self-defense. Why did you take Emmett?"

"I anticipated trouble. The region I had to travel through is notoriously lawless. Emmett is handy in a fight."

"Then why did you go, if you knew there was going to be trouble?"

"Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. It was the only way to get the items I required. These components aren't something you can order out of a catalog and have the postman deliver to your doorstep. You have to go out in the world and harvest them or collect them if you want them."

"It sounds dangerous to me."

"It can be, but we were well prepared. You know, we'll likely have to make some similar trips to complete your training. Sara has explained this to you, hasn't she?"

"Yes… she said we'd have to go on some field trips… I guess I didn't really know what to expect yet. We haven't discussed it in a great amount of detail yet."

"Trust me, there will be fighting involved. I have a fairly good Idea what you'll need and where you'll have to go to get many of the items you'll need. Even if Sara has a personal stock of some of the components, there are items that you'll be required to harvest personally for them to work for you."

"What items?"

"It's not my place to say…"

Edward sounded distracted, and he kept glancing at the rearview mirror. I turned in my seat to look behind us.

"Shit!" There was a Forks police cruiser following us, about a block behind Edward's car.

"You do seem to have an interesting vocabulary today, love, but the sentiment is appropriate. Do you want me to lose him?"

"It isn't Charlie, is it?"

"No, your father isn't in the car, but the officer has reported in, and read off the license number of the car you're riding in."

"Huh. Well, I suppose the cat is out of the bag now. Let's just go to Sara's. We're already late as it is. We'll probably drive out of town to go practice. He won't follow us past the city limits, will he?"

"I won't know what his orders are unless he thinks about them, but it's unlikely. He has no jurisdiction outside of town, unless he's in hot pursuit or observes a crime take place. That doesn't mean he couldn't follow, and then fabricate a reason for being there."

"But you don't think he'll follow us, right?"

"It's highly unlikely, but I don't know what he's been ordered to do yet."

"But you'd know if anyone was around to see what we're doing, right?"

"As long as they're human and don't have some means to shield their thoughts, then yes."

"Fine. I doubt the Forks Police department has any officers like that on the force."

We drove to Sara's and Edward pulled into the drive way to park. The cruiser drove past the house and then turned the corner at the end of the street.

"He's going to circle the block to make sure we're still here and then he has orders to park and watch for you to leave."

"Huh…" I sighed. "Ok, let's go in and talk to Sara."

I had my door open before Edward could get around to my side, but he took my hand and helped me out of the car. I didn't try to hide the fact that we were together, and I held his hand as we walked up to the porch and knocked on the door. It opened a second later, and Sara was holding the door open.

"You're late. I was starting to get worried. What took you so long? Or should I ask? Is that too personal question?" she asked with a smirk.

"There was an incident at the school." Edward answered. "Mr. Reese will be leaving the staff. I'm sure he'll likely have a substitute until they can fill his position."

"Oh my god, what happened?" Sara asked.

"Could you invite us in?" I asked, "We'll tell you all about it and there are a couple of things I'd like to discuss today."

Sara looked torn as she glanced at Edward, and then she shrugged and stepped back out of the doorway.

"Edward Cullen, I bid you enter this dwelling as long as you are in the company of Bella Swan. You may remain as long as she is present within this dwelling, and you will depart when she is not."

"Thank you, Sara." Edward said, and we walked into the house. I glanced back up the street, and the Police car had driven around the block. It was parked up the street now.

"He's still out there," I said.

"Who's still out there?" Sara asked.

"My dad's having me followed by his cops. He knows Edward, Jasper and Emmett went to Newton's last night. He doesn't trust them, so he's having me followed around."

"Oh. Makes me glad my dad's not a cop."

I didn't comment that she didn't know what her dad did, or even if he was still alive.

"Ok, so what happened to Mr. Reese at school today?" Sara asked as we walked down to her bedroom.

"It turns out Mr. Reese has a penchant for pedophilia and enjoys raping young girls. Boys too," Edward answered her.

"Huh, sounds like an Incubus." Sara jibed.

"Perhaps some of the nomads. Nobody I know preys on innocents the way he did."

"The way he did? Did you kill him?"

"Bella wouldn't allow me to. I instructed him to collect all of his evidence, and take it to the Port Angeles Sheriff's office and turn himself in."

Sara laughed. "Ok… I guess that's one way of handling the situation. I would have just killed him and been done with it. How did you catch him?"

"He tried to fake my records and made up some fake drug test results to blackmail me into having sex with him. He tried to rape me right there in the classroom when I refused! I should have just burned his pecker off, but Edward burst in before I could do it."

"Oh my god! I know I would have killed him! Are you alright, Bella?"

"I'm fine, as if you really care."

"I'll always care about what happens to you, no matter what you might think. I just want what I think is best for both of us."

"Did it ever occur to you to just ask me?"

"There are extenuating circumstances. We can discuss this in private later."

"Fine. I want to see our contract. I need to know what all the fine print says."

"Are you sure? You know you can't read it yet…"

"I brought somebody who can."

Sara glanced at Edward, and then shrugged. "Alright, if that's what you want. You're within your rights to review the terms of our agreement. It won't change anything."

She got up and went to the shelves of books behind her desk. The books swirled and shifted like they had that first time when she touched the shelf. She took down the thick hand bound tome, and flipped it open to where she had inserted our contract. She took the sheet of parchment out of the book, and handed it to me.

I unfolded it, and studied the surface, but the characters made little sense to me. I knew it was writing, and I'd seen a listing of translations of some of the symbols, but it wasn't written like English. The individual symbols didn't all correspond with our alphabet. It would take many months of serious study before I'd be able to make any kind of sense out of this. I turned to hand it to Edward.

"No," he said as he flinched back away from it. "You have to hold it. I'm not allowed to touch it or I could be bound by its terms, as well."

"Oh, I didn't know." I held it up so he could read it.

"Umm… turn it around, love. This is the top…" He said as he pointed to the bottom of the page.

I quickly flipped the page around, and he studied it for several minutes. "Everything appears to be in order. It's a standard formal apprenticeship agreement," and then turned to glare at Sara. "You required payment?"

"I'm within my rights to do so."

"The terms of the agreement extend beyond satisfaction of Bella's apprenticeship. This is rather open ended. You agreed to this Bella?"

"There's no time limit on when I can collect payment, no, but the terms of apprenticeship are standard." Sara said with a shrug.

I shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time." I said to Edward. "I didn't have a lot of other options. The only people I knew who used magick were Angela and Sara, and Angela didn't teach what I wanted to know."

He nodded, and I handed the contract back to Sara.

"You knew about us." Edward said. "We would have been more than willing to help…"

"I couldn't ask you… You were gone, and at the time, I thought I needed protection from you. The only other vampire I'd met besides Alice and Jasper was James. I thought you were like him at first…"

"Trust me, we are nothing alike."

"I know that now. I didn't when I made this agreement."

Edward nodded, and then I turned back to Sara. "Ok. I want to be clear on this. I never asked before, but what exactly do I need to learn to stand the boards, and pass the examinations?"

"The minimum requirements to stand your boards?" Sara asked.

"That's what I need to do to end the pact, right? Sure, tell me the minimum requirements if that's enough."

"You're not ready yet, but we can discuss it…"

"Just tell me, Sara!"

"Ok. It depends on who sit's on the panel. There's no set grading criteria, and a lot depends on individual preference and how much panache and flair you bring to the presentation."

"That's true," Edward said. "I had Aurelius and old Bezoch on my panel, and they wouldn't let a lot of stuff slide like some of the younger masters let you get by with these days."

"Fine, so what do I need to know?"

"The first examination will test your knowledge of the basic fundamentals. Casting a circle, performing a basic ritual, reading a spell out of a tome they select at random, inscribing a scroll, entering a spell into a tome of your creation. Sometimes they might include scrying or invocation of aid from a particular entity, but it depends on who's on the panel."

"I barely even know what those things are, let alone being able to do even half of them."

"Knowing what you need to accomplish is half the battle in learning how to do it." Edward said.

"Ok, go on."

"The second examination tests you on your defensive capabilities to ward, shield, deflect, reflect and absorb damage from offensive attacks."

"All of the panel members I know will count points for your ability to dodge, kite, or blink out of the way of an attack, too," Edward added.

"Kite or blink? What's that?" I asked.

"We haven't gotten that far yet." Sara said. "They're advanced techniques. Kiting is running ahead of an attacker and staying out of range or using terrain to make you a harder target. Blinking is a short range combat teleport you can use to move out of the way of an attack."

"You said I was talented with this. Am I good enough to at least pass this test?"

"You could if you didn't hold back. The only thing stopping you from excelling in this area are your self imposed limitations in your head. You're stronger than you realize."

"Ok, what else?"

"The third examination will test your offensive capability. Sometimes you can get away with using fire if you can manage a decent fireball or a kinetic projectile barrage if it's strong enough to damage a decent shield. Some of the more lenient panelists might even let you slide with a basic TK rend or slash attack, but to really lock it you'll need to be able to master and wield a decent chaos bolt. Some of the older masters won't accept anything short of a solid shadow bolt."

"That's where the tattoos you guy's have come in, isn't it? I need them to wield chaos magick. That's what the field trips are for, right? We need to collect the components for the ink so I can inscribe them."

"Yes, you'll need the components for the ink, and you'll need the tattoos to wield chaos and shadow. They also help with various nether essences and void energies. You can use them to shift between the planes of the Near Umbra without performing a ritual, and they'll give you the ability to use advanced combat techniques like blinking. As far as field trips are concerned, you'll need components for more than just ink to complete your training. Some trips will be exclusively for combat experience and training."

"Alright, so is that it? Three tests?"

"Oh no, there are more…"

"More? What else is there to learn?"

"The fourth examination will test your ability to perform a basic summoning…"

"A summoning? What am I supposed to summon?"

"A minor demon will suffice; an imp or any of the void entities are common."

"Hmm… I summoned pit fiend for my examination. That's a type of lesser demon, but then I was in training for twenty years before Carlisle suggested I stand the boards."

"Twenty years! How long does an apprenticeship last?"

"Traditionally, seven years is considered average," Sara continued, "but it depends on the student and how much they apply themselves to their studies. Sometimes it takes longer, rarely less."

"You've done all of this, Sara?" I asked with an obvious note of incredulity in my voice.

"Yeah, I stood my boards three years ago in this physical reality."

"You're seventeen! You did this when you were fourteen years old? You just said it takes seven years of training. You started training when you were seven?"

"Well, actually I did start training when I was about seven, but I get where you're coming from. All of this does sound like more than some kid should be able to handle."

"Well yeah, kind of. Let's be serious. How many fourteen year olds can summon an imp or perform a basic ritual, or read a spell out of a tome for that matter."

"I could. Maybe if you're a good student, I'll let you in on my secret."

"You have a secret too? Are you even human?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I'm still human. Angela and I talked at lunch. I know you guys talked about the Tellurian and the nature of some of the shard realms. You know time doesn't flow the same in all of the realms."

"Yeah, we talked about that…"

"I can show you how to find the time to study so you can learn all of this faster. It'll still take just as long for you on your personal timeline, but we could go away to someplace where time flows differently if you wanted to accelerate your training in this reality."

"Not without me." Edward said. "You're not taking Bella off to the horizon or one of the shard realms unless I accompany you."

"Fine. You can tag along when we go. We can probably use the extra muscle."

"Wait, you're saying we could go someplace where time flows differently so I would have time to learn all of this? You still look seventeen, Sara… How long would be gone?"

"As long as we need to for what we need to do. Some of the places we can go, you could spend ten years or more there, before you started to age in that reality."

"Wouldn't people notice that we're gone?"

"Time flows differently in a lot of the other realms, Bella. We can take years to study, explore, collect the items that you require, and minutes will pass in this reality. No one will notice that we're gone, although it can be a little jolting to try and continue seamlessly with your life in this reality if you're trying to hide the fact that you stepped out for a bit."

"I'll have to think about that…

"Well, get used to the idea pretty soon. It's something we'll need to do soon. Some of the trips we need to take will take months of subjective time even if we cut it short and keep the sight seeing to a minimum."

"Fine, just make sure I have plenty of warning to prepare."

"It might help if you start keeping a journal. It'll help you remember what's going on here when we come back if we're gone for an extended amount of time."

"Why would it take us so long to find the things we need or do what we have to do once we get to one of these shard realms?"

"Travel time mostly. Technology doesn't work there, Bella. There aren't any cars or jumbo jets. We have to get around the old fashioned way. Well, not entirely. Magick works there, so we have a distinct advantage in the travel department."

"So we can just pot to where we need to go? Why would that take a long time?"

"No, portals wouldn't be immediately available to us upon arrival, but there are other means of getting around."

"Why wouldn't we be able to port? You guy's do it all the time around here."

"Without going into an immense amount of detail," Edward said, "there are two things that come to mind. First, most portals require a reagent to make them manageable to open. This is essentially the same as saying that you need to have travelled to the portal destination at least once physically in order to be able to port back there. And before you ask, yes, we've been to many of these places, but travelling between realms effectively resets the reagents in question. You can use them to travel back to that realm, but once you're there you're back to square one as far as travel within that world is concerned."

"So other means of travel them?"

"I thought you wanted to catalog the requirements to stand your boards for examination?" Sara interrupted. "We haven't discussed the remaining tests yet or would you rather discuss travel plans?"

"I'm not ready for any tests yet, Sara, and I'm not going to be ready anytime in the foreseeable future. It'll take years of training regardless of where I do it, not a couple of days or weeks, so it's a moot point. I assume you're unwilling to transfer my contract to another teacher?"

"If you wish to train with somebody else informally, please be my guest and do as you will, but I won't transfer your contract, no. Not until the terms of payment are satisfied."

"What exactly are you willing to accept as payment for Bella's contract?" Edward asked.

"A favor from a mage as powerful as Bella has the potential to become is a valuable thing. From you though? You know what I want."

"And you would be willing to consider the curse of immortality as payment in full?" Edward asked.

"No, but I would consider the gift of immortality, and my freewill intact as payment in full."

"I'll discuss it with Carlisle, but I can't make any promises. Now why don't we get on with the training?"

"Ok. Let's go then."

"Bella said we'd likely drive out of town. What have you been working on?"

"Basic combat drills and sparring. What else is there to work on? She needs to learn how to survive before she has to even worry about the fundamentals. Once she can hold her own in a fight, then we can start worrying about details."

"How are you working on combat drills, if you haven't even covered the basic fundamentals? She can't even read her own contract! Don't you think you're skipping an awful lot of basic information?"

"Does it really matter if she can read Numenorean or chant in Sindarin or inscribe a scroll if she gets whacked by the first hitmark she runs into or an agent of the pogrom tags her?"

"You have a point, but how can she even be practicing combat drills if she hasn't even soloed a ritual yet? That fireball she was wielding at school today was fairly advanced. You've had to have covered some of the basics?"

"You know how talented she is. She can see more that either of us and she doesn't even have a set of tattoos yet. With her ability, she might not even need them. We moved right into basic energy work on our first session, and so far she hasn't had to perform a ritual to raise the matrix for anything I've shown her."

"None of it? You haven't even showed her how to hang a spell yet?"

"Nope, everything she's done so far has been raw talent and basic energy manipulation."

"Everything? Impressive, most impressive."

Edward looked thoughtful for a moment, and then glanced up at Sara. He gave an infinitesimal nod, and I assumed something had passed between them silently. I had come to assume that these silent conversations were usually about me, and often things Edward was trying to protect me from, but I had no idea where to even start asking questions in this situation, and I let it go. I was more interested in the direction my training was going.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "You've been skipping all the basic stuff and concentrating on fighting and combat because you think it'll give me a better chance of survival?"

"Well, that was what you were most interested in when we began. If I recall, you wanted to know how to kick ass so you could defend yourself the next time you ran into trouble. Of course at the time you were more worried about a certain Kindred classmate that you'd had an argument with in your Biology Class than anyone else."

"Ok, I'll accept that, but I think I'm getting a decent grasp of the self-defense part…"

"You're like a kitten who's just learned she has claws, Bella. Just because you can standup to one human man doesn't mean you're ready for a real fight."

"Fine, but I want to start working on all the rest too."

"There's a lot to learn. Was there something in particular you were interested in learning? It might narrow down the focus of what we concentrate on first."

"I want to learn how to use portals and how to create one to travel. You use them all the time and it helped us to get away when we were at the mall that time."

"Controlling a portal is a fairly advanced technique…"

"You did say she was extremely talented," Edward commented. "Besides, she'd have to learn a variety of basic skills to be able to master controlling a portal. I think it's a good goal to work towards."

"You just want her to know how to port to your house for those late night booty calls." Sara said with a smirk. "Well, I suppose controlling a portal is as good a goal to work towards as any."

She got up from where she was sitting on her bed and walked back to the book shelf. She touched a lower shelf and it started swirl and shift. The shelf settled with a new arrangement of books and Sara reached for several thick volumes. Then she walked back to me and handed them to me, laying them on my lap.

"Here, you can get started with these. Study them, and when you know enough to ask intelligent questions, I'll assign you some projects to work on."

Then Sara walked to the closet and opened it. She rummaged around for a couple of minutes. I saw her open her carpet bag that we'd taken on previous outings. She added several items to the bag, and then she stepped out of the closet and closed the door. She was holding the bag as she stepped to the bedroom door and opened it.

"Ok, I'm ready. Let's go before it get's too late and we run out of time to practice today."

"Fine, let me change and I'll be ready to go. I'm not going to wear this out where we go to practice."

Sara nodded and I got up to go to the bathroom to change. Edward helped me with the stack of book Sara had given me, and I grabbed my bag with my change of clothes in it. I didn't take long to change into my jeans and t-shirt, and then I was ready to leave. Edward and Sara were ready to leave when I came back and they got up leave as Sara stepped into the hall.

"Edward, can you meet us in the car?" I asked. "I need a minute to talk to Sara privately."

Edward looked back and forth between us, and then nodded and carried the load of books out to the car for me. I turned to look at Sara after he had closed the door behind him.

"Are you shielding Edward so he doesn't eavesdrop?" I asked.

"Of course," Sara said. "I only let him hear what I want him to hear."

"I'm not happy with what you tried to pull Sara. I thought we were friends, and then you go and teach me something that'll get me killed, just so you can get turned? How am I supposed to be able to trust you? You're supposed to be my mentor and teacher goddamn it! You had this fucking planned from the first day we started training together!"

"Calm down, Bella. I didn't have it planned from day one. I was pretty sure something would spark between you and Edward, and I'll admit it was in the back of my mind that it was a possibility, but it wasn't set in stone from the beginning. I like to keep my options open. You never know when a favor will come in handy. Look at Angela. That wasn't part of the plan, but I was ready to deal with that contingency because I keep my options open."

"So why the hell didn't you just ask me? You've got this damn apprenticeship blood pact bullshit so you can control who I talk to about this. How do you know I wouldn't have agreed to turn you when the time came? You didn't even bother to ask me, and tried to get me killed for something you wanted!"

"Because Edward won't let you, Bella. He might give you most of your freewill, but there are things he won't let you do. Turning another human is one of those things. You wouldn't be able to do that voluntarily unless he let you."

"So then how do you expect me to get around his control over my will then?"

"We could kill him…"

"Sara! No fucking way!"

"Calm down, I'm just teasing you. The blood pact supersedes the control over your will that he'll gain by turning you. He can turn you and be your Sire, but I'll still be your Mistress as far as training you goes. You'll still owe me a favor. His control over your will can't interfere with what was in place before he turns you. You'll be able to do what I ask you to do despite any control over your will he decides to retain."

"Fine. How do I know you aren't going to literally throw me under the bus just to hurry things along? I'd prefer to do this at my own pace, rather than having you forcing Edward to change me to save my life."

"He's bonding to you, right? It's just a matter of time now. I'm willing to wait as long as you two don't take fucking forever. You were planning on taking off when you turned eighteen anyhow. I can wait that long. You can tell your dad you decided to elope. That'll give you have an excuse to run off with Edward."

"What if I want to graduate from high school now? I'm not as pissed off at the world now as I was when I moved here."

"Don't start thinking up excuses to chicken out on me, Bella! Next thing you know, you'll be talking about having babies and putting it off for years! You know, I could think up a reason for you to seduce him to move things along if you like. I know he wants you…"

I shuddered at the thought. Graduating was one thing, but I hadn't gone insane. I wasn't cut out for motherhood, and that was the furthest thing from my mind. I was being careful to make sure that that didn't happen, and as long as I had a say in the matter it wouldn't be happening.

"Sara! Butt out of my fucking personal life! Just let me do this my way, and then we'll see about taking care of you. Just promise me that you aren't going to pull any bullshit that's designed to get me hurt to force the issue, ok? When I do this I want to go into it with both eyes open and do it because it's what I want. I'm not gonna be another emergency vampirization where it's the only way they can save my ass, ok?"

"Alright, I'll even say I'm sorry and mean it if you like, but I've been waiting for this for a long time, Bella. I'm willing to wait a little longer if you're going to ask him to turn you. You can do it your way as long as we have an understanding."

"Fine, you can use your favor to have me turn you. Just back off for now, ok? What about this Kindred guy you've been dating? He won't turn you?"

"I've had offers, but this way is better. You're intelligent and awakened and I can guarantee I keep my freewill without killing you after you turn me. I'd rather be bound to you than end up progeny to some glorified scullery maid. Heather would turn me, but god, she's still waiting tables after four hundred years as a vampire! At least I have a back up plan if you screw this up."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. You'd rather kill me than get turned by your… girlfriend? I feel so special."

"Heather isn't too bad, as far as Kindred go. I'll admit that I've learned a thing or two. A four hundred year old Succubus has to be pretty good in the sack, and she definitely knows how to make a girl feel special, if you know what I mean. I can introduce you if you'd like. The three of us could have some fun…"

"No! Too much information, Sara, I'm content with Edward, thank you very much! So… You let her bite you?"

"Well, yeah, that kind of goes with the territory, Bella. What, you haven't given Edward a taste yet?"

"Well, a tiny taste. That's how I got that hickey, but I haven't let him bite me…"

"Huh, well you're missing out then. It's incredible, and you'll kick yourself for waiting when you do let him."

"Fine, I still can't get my head around the fact that you were willing to get me killed for what you want. That's incredibly selfish, Sara."

Sara shrugged. "I won't make excuses for who I am. I saw an opportunity and I went for it. I knew it would work out for both of us. I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but Edward wouldn't have let you die, Bella. At most you would have been unconscious for a couple of days while they thought up an excuse to fake your death and get your body out of the hospital. It might have even made the change less painful if you were comatose while it started."

"Less painful? Alice and Edward both mentioned it was unpleasant. Edward mentioned something about burning through the change, but I didn't press him for details. He was having a hard enough time just discussing it with me. Exactly how painful are we talking here?"

"The change re-writes the genetic code of every cell in your body. It's been described as having your body burned away in an acid bath, but you remain conscious the entire time. Your senses are one of the first things to change and you can literally feel every cell die and be replaced with your newly enhanced awareness. It'll be the worst possible pain you can possibly imagine. A toothache in every tooth, earaches piercing both ears, fire raging through your body as though you're being burned alive, all at the same time. You've had broken bones before. Imagine that, only in every bone at the same time while you're being burned alive. You'll beg for death and mean it before it's over, but it will end. The good news is it only lasts for three days."

"Jesus, Sara! And you want that? You were just gonna spring that on me with no warning?"

"Don't you want it too? Isn't Edward worth it? Three days of torment seems like a small price to pay for everything you get out of the deal. I'm surprised you didn't already know. That's one of Edward's big arguments for why somebody would be crazy to want this."

"Fine, yes, he's worth it. I don't think he wanted to think about me going through that, otherwise yeah, I can see him using that argument. It wouldn't have done him any good. He is worth it. C'mon, we better go before he comes back in looking for us."

"Fine, let's go."

"Just don't pull anymore shit like that overdrive stunt. At least ask me first next time, ok? I would have told you yes if you would have asked me about turning you, but I'm not rushing into this tomorrow. Give me some time, Sara."

"Ok. We'll do it your way for now. I know it's only a matter of time now until he claims you."

We walked out of the house, and got in the car. Edward was waiting for us as I got in the passenger seat and Sara slid into the back.

"Did you two have a nice chat?" Edward asked.

"Yes, we worked some things out. What about the police car that's watching the house? What if they follow us again?" I asked as I fastened my seat belt. I glanced up the street and it was still parked there waiting for us to come out.

"Don't worry about the cop; he won't follow us for long." Sara said.

Edward's pulled out of the driveway after we got into car, and he turned to head into town. There were only two ways out of town, North or South so he started toward Highway 101, Forks Ave. as it ran through the center of town.

"Where am I going?" Edward asked as we approached Forks Ave.

"Head north out of town, and turn East onto Sitkum-Solduc Road." Sara replied. Edward nodded and turned left onto Forks Ave.

"The cop is still following us." I said as I watched behind us in the vanity mirror in the sun visor.

"Have a little faith, Bella. I said I'd handle it." Sara replied.

We were rapidly approaching the edge of town, and drove past the last side street before the bridge. The cop didn't appear to be slowing down to stop or turn around. He looked like he was going to keep on going and follow us.

"Edward?" I asked.

"He's not going to stop. He's supposed to maintain surveillance and report our actions back to headquarters, but he won't harass us. He's been instructed to leave us alone and just watch."

The police car was pretty far back now, but we knew he was following us. We were on the bridge when the cop came abreast of the last cross street before the bridge. Suddenly the cruiser lurched and it looked like its ride had suddenly become very rough. It pulled over on the shoulder of the road, and its flashing lights came on as it came to a stop. The driver door was opening as we crossed the bridge and accelerated up Highway 101.

"What happened? Why did he stop?" I asked.

"It would appear he had a blowout." Edward said as he glanced at the rear view mirror.

I turned in my seat and looked back at Sara.

Sara shrugged. "I told you I'd take care of it. Remember what I told you about coincidental magick? It doesn't have to be flashy or ostentatious. Flat tires happen all the time. Unfortunately, we'll be long gone before he can fix it or they can move another car into position to tail us."

We finished driving out of town, and Sara gave Edward directions back to our usual practice spot. We were already well off the main highway, and he parked the car where it wouldn't be seen by anyone that happened by on the logging road, as unlikely a circumstance as that might be. We'd never been interrupted out here yet.

I got out of the car and started to prepare myself for our practice session. I set my wards and wrapped a shield around myself while I waited for Sara to tell me to start. We had progressed beyond tossing a ball back and forth. Sara would generally attack with some sort of toned down magick missile that I had yet to master. I could deflect or absorb the attacks most of the time, but they stung when they got through my defense. I knew she was holding back, and could fry my ass if she wanted too.

She told me I could shield stronger than I had been so far, but it was hard to concentrate on several things at once. The shield felt slippery, like an elastic band or sheet that I could stretch around myself, but if I tried to do too much at once, I'd lose my grip and it would snap back. She kept telling me it was all in my head, but so far that hadn't helped much.

I typically used a modified fire lance or blast to strike at her. It was a relatively short range attack, and I had to get in close to be effective, while she could stand on the other side of the field and sling shots at me all day. I'd never gotten through her defenses yet, but I wouldn't use the kinetic attack I used for target practice to shoot at her. A lot of my problem with offense was probably psychological. I didn't want to hurt her, and it made me hold back. I just couldn't force myself to cut loose, although I didn't know if that would be as big an issue today as it had been in the past.

"Ready, Bella?" Sara asked.

"Sure…" I replied. I was a little self-conscious with Edward here to watch today.

"Ok, we'll spar for a bit to warm up. Why don't you take a position on the field, and you can start off defending, then we'll trade off." Sara turned to Edward. "Save your commentary until we're done. She's new and still has a lot to learn."

Edward nodded, and I turned to Sara. "Gee, Sara thanks for the vote of confidence…"

"You know it's true, Bella. Don't hold back, you can't hurt me…"

"We'll see about that!" I called as I took off at a run for the middle of the field. There was a good defensive spot there where several tree stumps were piled, and it gave some cover.

Sara gave me a good head start then took off after me. I deflected her first couple of bolts as I dove for cover and she started to circle my position to line up for another barrage.

I let the fireball coalesce in the palm of my hand, and flung a couple of lances at her, but she had stopped advancing outside of my effective range, and I'd either need to move to attack, or use something more effective with longer range. I knew I had more effective options, but I was afraid of losing control. Sara had warned me about using fire to fight and how it could get away from me. I knew this was just practice, and I didn't want to hurt her.

I had to shift position to keep the cover between us as she circled and I was able to deflect another couple of shots as I scrambled for cover.

This wasn't working, and it was just a matter of time before she worked down my defense and got me. I had to attack if I was going to stop her. I threw out a wall of blue TK energy in her path, and she pulled up short when she ran into it. I let it wrap around her and root her in place as I dashed out of cover behind her. I rapidly closed into range and cut loose with my fire lance, but then she was gone.

I frantically searched the field for her, but now she was forty yards away and out of range as she grinned at me and started lobbing bolts in my direction. I turned to run, but now I was rooted in place and couldn't dodge out of the way as I smacked into an invisible wall. I managed to deflect or absorb the first dozen shots, but she quit when she managed to batter down my defense and I yelled as the bolt slammed home.

"Ow! Ok, you got me! Knock it off, already!"

Edward moved out to join us as Sara came back over to where I was standing rubbing my arm, trying to massage some feeling back into it. I knew from experience that the stun effect wouldn't last too long. At least it was only my arm this time. It would have knocked me on my ass if she hit my leg or body. I was pretty sure it would knock me out if she hit me in the head.

"That wasn't fair, Sara!" I complained "You did that blink thing, didn't you? You've never used that out here before!"

"There's only one rule, Bella. Stay alive. Maybe I've been going too easy on you, but then I didn't want to discourage you. You're stronger than this. You can put up a stronger offence and I know you can shield stronger than this. You should be able stop anything I can throw at you. You're holding back."

"That fire blast you're using isn't a very effective ranged attack, Bella." Edward said. "It's best saved for a finisher if your attacker runs up on you or you manage to corner them. You don't seem to have any trouble forming the basic fireball. Why don't you just throw it? It's a much longer range attack and it's a lot more effective than the fire lances you were shooting out of it."

"Really? Just throw it? I guess we talked about that when I we first got started, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to control it… Sara warned me not to burn the forest down…"

"Is that why you're holding back?" Sara asked. "I meant if you went out to practice on your own. Don't worry about that here with us, Bella. We can easily put out any fires you manage to start."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Sara held out her hand and a fireball grew on her palm. She hauled her arm back and let fly at a tree stump. There was a massive blast of fire that engulfed the stump and left it a flaming pyre. Then she held out her hand and just as suddenly the fire died down as she pulled the energy out of the flame. In seconds it was out, and didn't even smolder or smoke. I was sure it would be cool to the touch if I went and laid my hand on it.

"I'm sure." She said. "You have enough control to use this effectively. Start using it."

"I don't want to really hurt you, Sara. Maybe I was mad this morning, but I don't stay mad…"

"You aren't going to hurt me, Bella. You have a long way to go before you have to worry about that."

"You keep saying that, but you know I don't really believe it. What I'm doing would hurt anyone else… I could kill people like this…"

"You've never seen a real fight, have you?" Edward commented.

"No, I guess not… I've only seen what I've practiced out here with Sara, and then that time at the mall…"

"That wasn't a fight at the mall." Sara said. "James baited us to chase him, and he was ready to run when we showed up. He didn't even try to fight back. He just wanted you to know he was in town and could get to you when he wanted too."

"Fine, so I guess I've never seen a real fight then. I don't understand what James is waiting for, though. If he knows where I am, why doesn't he come after me?"

"I have some ideas…" Sara said. Edward glanced at her, and then nodded.

"That's enough of the goddamned silent conversations! If you know something, spit it out, for god's sake! It's been driving me crazy looking over my shoulder wondering when he's gonna show up! You know they found four more bodies the other day. Charlie was freaked out Monday because he was afraid I wasn't coming home. Why hasn't James come after me yet?"

"It has to do with the nature of magick, Bella." Sara said.

"There are certain times of the year that are more conducive to performing certain rituals in particular locations." Edward explained. "Alice has shown me some of the ritual that she's seen in her visions. In order to be effective it is likely that this ritual will need to be performed on one of these more effective dates to insure its chances of success."

"So you know when he has to perform the ritual? And you think he's waiting until the time is right before he tries to snatch me again? When were you going to tell me? This is something I needed to know!"

"It would force our hand if he tried to take you too soon before the time is right. We'd put all of our efforts into searching for you. He might be able to elude us, but we'd be able to find you…"

"What? Why would you be able to find me?"

"Well for one, Sara is your Mistress. There's a link between you that she'd be able to use to track you. There is also a bond forming between us. It's in an early stage at this point, but I'd be able to find you as well."

"You're letting the bond form?"

"Yes. I want it, Bella."

"I want it too. You know what that means…"

"Yes."

"You know I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me. I won't let you die…"

"Can we discuss this in private later?"

"Alright… Talk to me more about what you think James has planned."

"He's probably counting on the fact that he can complete the ritual before we can find you and stop it, but that means he has to wait until the last minute to make his play. He can stay hidden until then. As far as explaining this to you goes, we haven't been on speaking terms for that long, love, and it hadn't come up yet." Edward said.

"Besides, I didn't want to put pressure on you to perform by a certain date." Sara said. "If we know when he has to perform the ritual, it's an easy matter to simply be gone then. We can schedule one of our field trips for that time…"

"When? You both seem to have come to the same conclusion about when he has to perform this ritual. How much time have I got?"

"The most conducive date for performing the ritual James requires for opening the portal falls on Ostara, the vernal equinox. In modern times it's celebrated as Easter, and is generally around March 21 in the Northern hemisphere, give or take a couple of weeks for the modern commercial holiday."

"So, two months? That's during spring break."

"I doubt if he'll make a play for you much before then. He knows you're protected, and if he tries to take you, he has all of us to deal with. He won't get through us love."

"Then why does Alice still see it happening? If it wasn't a possibility, her visions wouldn't be so strong…"

"It just means James is still making plans. You know the future isn't set in stone. It can keep changing until it happens."

"Fine, so I have two months to learn to kick ass and defend myself. What did you mean about me never having seen a real fight? What does that have to do with what I'm learning?"

"You're holding back because you're afraid of hurting Sara. Sara is holding back so she doesn't hurt you because you're still new and learning. You're gauging your actions based only on what the two of you have done out here so far. You need to see a real fight so you have some idea what you're supposed to be doing."

"Ok, so show me a real fight."

"Sara?" Edward asked.

"Alright, I suppose you're right. She needs to see an example of what she's supposed to do so she has an idea of what's expected of her."

"Any rules?"

"No nukes, and try and keep it simple. Use stuff she'll understand without too much explanation, ok?"

"Fine. Bella, love, why don't you move to the edge of the field, and keep your shield up in case something flies your way."

"Ok…" I quickly backed off to the edge of the clearing while Edward and Sara moved apart toward the far ends of the field.

"Bella," Sara yelled. "Give us a three count and yell when you're ready for us to go."

"Ok, Ready?" I yelled.

They had both stopped moving, and were squared off facing each other. I saw them both nod.

"Alright." I breathed and took a deeper breath. "Three… Two… One… Go!" I yelled.

Neither of them moved immediately. I could see Sara's shield flare briefly brighter and then she was holding a fireball in each hand as she started zig zagging down the field. Edward still hadn't moved, and his eyes were closed with a look of intense concentration on his face. I thought I saw his lips move as he murmured something, and then I noticed the pinkish glow on the ground around him. It got brighter, and the glow reached his knees when I noticed something else happening.

A glowing dark blue shape began to coalesce out of thin air over in front of him. It was roughly humanoid, like a disembodied torso, massive shoulders and arms and a tiny neckless head that protruded from the front of the massive shoulders with the rudiments of features. There was a mouth, and glowing lighter blue eyes. It had no legs and appeared to hover above the ground in a roiling cloud of darkness. Its forearms and wrists were encased in massive jeweled and spiked bracers, and its huge hands curled into claws.

It appeared to writhe in agony as it solidified, and a disembodied voice howled, "Send me back!"

"Silence!" Edward commanded. "Klathgore attack!" His hand shot out to indicate Sara as he pointed at her.

"I obey!" the hollow sounding disembodied voice howled, and the blue thing raced across the field at Sara.

Sara had closed the distance and was halfway across the field now. She fired off her first fireball at the blue thing, and it howled in pain as it was engulfed in flame, but it didn't seem to slow it down much. Sara hurled the second fireball at Edward, but he was moving now, and he easily deflected it away. I could see Sara preparing another fireball as she ducked behind the pile of stumps I'd hidden behind earlier.

Edward's hands were engulfed in the malevolent greenish black fire now. He hauled back his arm and hurled a bolt of the coruscating dark energy. It shot away from his hands with uncanny accuracy to impact against the pile of stumps. I felt the shock wave of the explosion from where I was standing, and the pile of stumps vaporized and shattered into a hail of splinters and chunks of wood and debris as it erupted away from the blast towards where Sara had to be standing.

I gasped in shock at the ferocity of the attack. Maybe it wasn't as much cover as I had imagined. There was nothing but a crater left in the ground where a solid pile of stumps taller than me had stood a second ago. I knew I'd be dead if that blast had been aimed at me, but the blue thing changed direction and was still moving. Another fireball erupted around Edward, but it didn't seem to faze him as he shrugged it off and spun in the direction the attack had come from. I took a deep breath I hadn't realized I had been holding, but I'd been stunned thinking Sara had to be dead. She must have blinked when she passed out of sight behind the stumps to move to a better position.

The blue thing finally caught her, and I heard her muted cry of agony as its claws raked across her. Then the creature was howling again as she moved away from it. It appeared to be trapped inside some king of pale green glowing bubble that held it rooted in place. It beat ineffectually at its prison as another set of fireballs coalesced in her hands and she circled in toward Edward.

"I told you no nukes, Edward! Keep it simple! Use what Bella can learn to use!"

"Fine, but she isn't going to fight people that pull their punches. She needs to know what it's like out there."

"Then pretend you're a hitmark! She isn't going to be fighting any mages unless James gets past all of us!"

"Alright, you asked for it!"

A cloud of debris seemed to form behind Edward. It was like a reversed vortex of blue energy spread out behind him to suck up gravel and rocks from the ground and direct them over his shoulder. I recognized the pattern of the kinetic accelerator matrix I used to throw steel shot for target practice, but this was a more advanced application than I had tried before. He didn't hold it in his hand, and it hung in space over his shoulder, next to his head. The cloud of debris fed a steady stream of gravel and small rocks into the back end of the accelerator field.

A staccato stream of projectiles stitched across the ground toward Sara, like gunfire from an automatic weapon. It was deceptively quiet because there was no contained explosion of gunpowder to drive the deadly stream of death. The only sound was the wind of their passage and the muted thud of the impacts as they ripped at the ground and chewed tree stumps into mangled wreckage.

Sara raced across the field, dodging ahead of the stream of projectiles as she flung fireballs at Edward. He was moving too as he tried to avoid her attacks. He didn't deflect them now, but let them erupt against his shield when she scored a hit, and he moved slower and more predictably.

She howled with pain and went down when stream of projectiles finally caught her and stitched across her legs. I gasped as the line of death honed in on her position and a cloud rocks and dirt was flung up into the air as the stream of projectiles played back and forth across the spot where she'd gone down.

Suddenly a blast wave of and flame erupted where Edward was standing. He was flung backward, and landed in heap twenty yards from where he'd been standing throwing a hail of death to rain on Sara. The stream of projectiles cut off when he was thrown into the air. Edward wasn't moving, and I couldn't see Sara where the debris was settling where she had gone down.

The silence was deafening as I stood there in shock. I felt a breath rush into my lungs as I gasped, and realized I had been holding my breath. I galvanized into action as I raced out onto the field where Edward was laying.

"Edward!" I yelled. "Oh my god, Edward, are you alright?" I was panicked, and didn't know what I should do. I needed help, but who could I call? Could paramedics even help Edward?

I was halfway across the field when Edward stirred and started to get up. He shook himself, and started to stand up, and relief washed over me. I kept running, worried that he needed help, and then I heard the laughter.

He was laughing? I slowed down to a walk and looked back at where Sara had fallen. She was standing up and dusting herself off.

The blue thing finally broke free from the pale green bubble, and started to race at Sara again, but Edward called it off.

"Klathgore, hold," and it froze in its advance. "Klathgore, defend." Edward commanded it, and it returned to him, and took up a position slightly behind him on his left side.

"I thought you said no nukes?" Edward called to Sara.

She shrugged. "It's a simple one Bella could learn to use. Call it a draw?"

"Fine," Edward replied. "Best two out of three?"

"No!" I yelled before Sara could reply. I had made it to Edward, and I wrapped my arms around him to pull him close as I pressed my head against his chest and glanced warily at the massive blue… thing… that hung there hovering, awaiting his next command.

"I thought you were hurt… I was so scared." I said as I pulled Edward close and held onto him tight.

"You didn't seem so worried about me," Sara said as she walked up beside us, slapping at her clothes to try and brush off the dust.

I let go of my death grip on Edward and gave him some space, but I kept my arms around his waist as I turned to answer Sara.

"I'm sorry, Sara… I thought you were dead, not just hurt…"

"I told you, Bella, you don't have to hold back. You aren't going to hurt me until you learn some more advanced techniques, but what we're practicing will keep you alive if you run into a bad situation on your own. You can stand up to men with guns or worse, and you're powerful enough to take out a hitmark if you don't hold back."

"You both keep talking about that like it's something I'm supposed to know. What the hell is a hitmark? And who the hell are these agents of the pogrom you keep talking about?"

"You haven't told her yet?" Edward asked.

"She's less likely to actually run into one if she isn't looking for them. You know most of the time we find them, instead of them finding us. Knowing increases the odds of an encounter drastically. It's how they're designed to work."

"Well, she knows enough now that she needs to know the rest. She knows they're out there. Now she needs to know how to spot one."

"You're right. It's time. The pogrom is the branch of the technocracy that has been charged with eliminating anything from this reality that the Technocrats have deemed should not exist in their version of reality. Any form of magick besides technology, and anyone who uses it are officially sanctioned targets of the pogrom. They're the men in black that make people disappear and cover up the fact that parts of the mythical world still exist. They shoot first and ask questions later, and they have access to technology that hasn't been released to the general public yet.

"Hitmarks are humanoid robots that can fit into society and interact with the general public while they search for us. They're like white blood cells or antibodies hunting down an infection and eliminating it before it can spread."

"Robots? Really? But they look like people? What like Star Wars or something?"

"Not exactly. More like Terminator, and you're Sarah Conner. Only there's no Kyle Reese coming to save your ass. That's up to you."

"I think I saw that one… I might have to rent it. That's the one where Arnold Schwarzenegger does a nude scene, right?"

"Emmett has the whole collection, although I don't believe that's why he watches them." Edward said. "I'm sure he'll loan it to you. Hitmarks are a little more advanced than a terminator. The technocracy hasn't perfected the liquid metal technology yet, but their combat models have built in weapons. Have you watched any Japanese Anime like Bubblegum Crisis?"

"Bubblegum… What? What's Japanese Ani… What does that have to do with the technocracy?"

"Japanese Anime is animated graphic novels, TV series and movies. A lot of the more popular ones deal with fairly futuristic themes."

"Cartoons? Why would some kids show have something like a hitmark in it? Isn't that a little sick and twisted?"

"Trust me; most Japanese Anime isn't for kids, Bella." Sara commented.

"I can collect some videos to give you an idea of what you might be up against if you run into one." Edward said.

"Ok, so you doing the machine gun trick and letting Sara's fireballs hit you was you pretending to be a hitmark? Robot's with machine guns?"

"The most common models have machine guns, yes. Some of the more advanced models carry more dangerous weapons. They can be deadly, and they're more interested in killing you than in keeping it a secret. The agents will show up after the fighting is done and clean up the mess. A certain amount of collateral damage is expected as long as they do their job."

"Collateral damage?" I asked.

"Innocent bystanders, Bella." Sara said. "There are nearly six billion people on this planet. The Technocracy is willing to sacrifice a few if it improves their control of this reality. Every mage they kill weakens our hold and makes them stronger."

"What about paradox? Don't they have to worry about that? Humanoid robots with machine guns sounds like magick to me."

"It is, but technology is the accepted form of magick in this reality now. Paradox works against us, not them."

"Well that sucks. Is there anything we can do to fix this?"

"This type of change is generally a slow process…" Edward said. "The technocracy has thousands of years of momentum, and is thoroughly entrenched in the mind set of the general populace. At most, the people that resist them can hinder and attempt to slow down their progress."

"You use technology, Bella," Sara said. "Are you ready to give it up? Would you be willing to give up your cell phone and computer and television and movies? How about running water, flush toilets, and refrigeration?"

"You said technology is magick. Couldn't we do all of that with different magick?"

"A few of us could, but how many billions would die until we figured it all out?"

"So that's it? They win? They want to kill all of us!"

"Not all of us," Sara said as she turned and looked pointedly at Edward. "They don't want to kill the Kindred. The rumors on the street claim Aro is working a deal with the technocrats."

"A deal? What kind of deal?" I asked.

"The leadership of the technocracy might hold supreme power over this reality, but they're all still mortal. They might believe that total domination and control of this reality will lead them to ascension, but most of them will die of old age before that ever happens. If they were willing to allow the Kindred to exist, then they could become immortal without sanctioning massive advances in medical technology."

"Wait, they could do that? Advance medical technology to allow for human immortality? Why don't they?"

"Hello? Six billion people? And they're all still having babies and using resources. They consider a lot of the medical advances they've already allowed to be far too much. People live longer and fewer die from disease. It causes uncontrolled population expansion. Why do you think there's still so much war in the world? They have to control population somehow. They've introduced new diseases, but that's as dangerous to them as it is to the general population."

"Letting the Kindred exist is a more attractive option. It can be more selective and exclusive. Their population is a small fraction of the human population, and becoming one effectively stops you from reproducing normally. If they let them go mainstream, then the leadership suddenly has access to the immortality option without making it generally available to the public at large."

"Mainstream? You mean…"

"Yeah, going public. Making them an accepted part of this reality."

"Aro would never agree to that." Edward said. The rumors of a great revelation are just that, rumors."

"He might do it for a seat on the leadership council. He's nothing if not ambitious. If he personally turned the technocracy leadership council, and managed to retain even a portion of control over their wills, it would give him virtual control over this reality. He could shape the destiny of billions and control the very nature of reality. You don't think he would trade secrecy and living on the fringes of society for ultimate power?"

"Ok, so you have a point. That wouldn't stop the agents of the pogrom from hunting mages."

"Aro is a mage, and Kindred. The pogrom doesn't hunt Kindred now unless they screw up and endanger the secret. You don't think that he'd write that into the deal? Besides, if things worked his way he'd be in charge whether they knew it or not. I have a suspicion that Kindred mages will be relatively safe as long as they don't reveal that secret."

"This is all conjecture. You have no evidence or proof that any of this is ever going to happen. These rumors have been floating around for decades now. It's all just wishful thinking, Sara."

Sara shrugged. "So maybe it is. The fact of the matter is, if I was like you, I'd be taking a huge target off my back, whether it happens or not."

"Why does the conversation always come back to you being turned? I'm not going to do that. Get over it."

"Fine, if you won't do it, I'll find somebody who will."

"Hey, you two arguing isn't getting me trained. I think we need to drop this and get back on track here. So that was a real fight? It seemed kind of… intense. So that's what you want me to do out here?"

"That's a good goal for you to work towards," Sara said. "I tried to limit myself to things you can learn to do right now. If you can fight like that, you can hold your own against a lot of the stuff you might run into. You'd have a fighting chance for survival."

"Ok… What was that thing you did at the end? It was some kind of explosion or something that knocked Edward out for a minute…"

"A flame strike. Think of it like a massive fireball at range, but instead of holding it and throwing it, you create the matrix where you want it to explode. You just keep pouring energy into it, until it becomes unstable and explodes. It takes longer to cast, and it's tricky to pick a spot where you know it will work, but if you can pull it off in the right place at the right time, it can be devastating."

"You want me to set up an unstable fire matrix, and then pour energy into it until it explodes! I'm just getting comfortable with the idea of even using a fireball!"

"Why don't we just start off working with that then?" Edward suggested.

"Ok… What do you want me to throw a fireball at?"

"Here, I'll send Klathgore down the field, and you can practice shooting at him…"

"What! I can't do that…! Umm… What is that… thing…?"

"Klathgore? He's a minor demon. He's a type of void entity, commonly called a Void Walker…"

"I've heard that name before… That's what was painted on the side of your racecar. Mike said it was a reference to some game…"

Edward chuckled. "I'm surprised you made the association. Yes, Void Walkers are one of the demons that Warlocks can summon in World of Warcraft."

"That's the game Emmett and Haley both play."

"I have to admit, I've spent a considerable amount of time playing it too. It can be rather addicting."

"Ok… So why is something like a… Void Walker part of this game? How did that happen?"

"Some of the developers share our abilities. It's really kind of interesting how much of certain aspects of the game world are based on their adventures in the shard realms."

"Wait, so you're saying parts of this game are based on real life places and things, but the people that play it think its all fantasy?"

"Well, in the sense that an action adventure movie depicts parts of real life, yes. Things and places in the game exist in another reality and are real there."

"Huh… Maybe I should take a look at this game too then."

"If you like. I'll get you more information about it. For now, though, back to practicing. Klathgore, advance and patrol! You may fire when ready, love."

"Edward! You want me to shoot at your… pet? What if I hurt him?"

"You aren't going to hurt him with a fireball love. He's tougher than that, and even if you did, the most that could happen would be that you banish him from this plane of existence. I can easily re-summon him if you manage to drive him from this reality. You saw what Sara did, and it hardly slowed him down. Now do your worst. You need the practice."

So I practiced throwing fireballs the rest of the afternoon. I had to admit, I was a little tentative and nervous at first, and I jumped when one of my shots finally hit the mark and scored. Klathgore howled, but shrugged it off and kept patrolling back and forth across the field. My confidence grew as I slowly realized I wasn't going to really hurt Edward's demon, and I tried harder.

Sara finally let me take a break when I was hitting more often than I was missing. We sat down under the trees by the car, and Edward and Sara discussed portal theory with me. We discussed what I would need to learn, and what I should start practicing.

First I needed to learn how to cast a circle. A ritual was necessary to create and stabilize the portal matrix. It didn't need to be an elaborate ritual, and if I was confident it was stable, I didn't need to go the whole route and call the quarters. The circle was mainly required to contain the portal energy, and didn't necessarily need the protection of the quarters.

Next I would need to learn how to hang spells if I wanted to be able to use portals on the fly or in a hurry. Typically, a portal matrix required reagents to raise the portal energy but once that matrix was created, it was possible to compress its essence and store it for later use. The reagents would be consumed in the ritual, but when you were ready to port, you could use the compressed ritual essence to open the portal by feeding energy into it.

Sara showed me examples of several different common reagents that she had brought with her today for this part of the lesson. Reagents were the physical components that were consumed by the magick, and made the ritual energies easier to raise and control.

Sometimes the reagents contained a portion of the final matrix in their form simply by existing. It was easier to take that section of the matrix and graft it into the whole than trying to craft it from scratch. Sometimes the reagent simply made it possible for the mage to enter the correct mind set to be able to perform the required leap of faith to make the magick possible. Sometimes the reagents provided unique energies that were required by the matrix for the working to be possible.

There were a myriad of different reasons why different reagents worked and made magick easier or in some cases even possible. The simple fact of the matter was that portals were easy with the correct reagents but exceedingly difficult, if not impossible without the right reagents.

Portals were easier if you'd physically been to the location you wanted to link to because you could collect reagents that made it easier to link to that physical location. It was easier to make a link between two set locations, and the more you practiced that portal, the easier it got.

Something like what Sara had done at the mall, creating a portal on the fly from a random location to another somewhat random location was hard. It wasn't super difficult, but that was why it was a rougher trip. It was only possible because she'd scouted the final destination locations in advance, and had the reagents to link to them.

It was possible to create semi-permanent portals between fixed locations that anyone could activate and use. A lot of the clubs used them for private entrances like Edward had mentioned Nick's Club used for the member's only entrance. Normally this took a group effort to create and a fairly elaborate ritual. Regular maintenance was required to keep the portal active, and it helped if it was linked to source of energy like a node or a ley line.

Opening a portal to go 'other' places was very very difficult. Portals to the Horizon Realms and the Shard Realms were possible, but like normal portals, they were much easier if you'd been there before. If you'd never been to the realm, and didn't have a reagent from there to make the link easier it was still possible to open a portal, but it took a lot more preparation and research. You might have to travel to a particular location on a particular date when the conditions were most conducive to be able to open some portals. Of course, once you'd been there, you could pick up reagents to make it easier to go back again.

Another issue with inter-realm portals was that traveling back to the Prime Material Plane would effectively reset all of the reagents from the other realm. They might still be useful for opening a portal between realms, but once you were there, you were back to collecting reagents if you wanted to be able to use portals while you were there. That meant you could get there, but then you had to physically revisit any of the locations you wanted to port to.

I was enjoying our conversation, and found it highly intriguing, but eventually it started to get late as the sun sank into the west and twilight was rapidly approaching. I had to get home to fix dinner for Charlie, and I knew we would be having another discussion about my dating choices. He had to know about Edward by now.

Edward dismissed his demon, and we collected our things to leave. We got into the car, and Edward drove us back into town.

"Do you want me to drop you off at Sara's house, Bella? Can you drive Bella to her house, Sara?" Edward asked.

"Sure…" Sara started.

"Don't bother, Sara. Just take me home, Edward, after you drop Sara off."

"Are you sure, Bella? What about your father? Will he be home?" Edward asked with a hint of trepidation in his voice.

"Sometimes he works this late, but it doesn't really matter if he's home or not. He has to know I was with you this afternoon by now. You said the cop radioed in the license plate number from your car, he saw us walk into Sara's house together, and he followed us to the edge of town. They might be small town cops, but they aren't blind. He's just going to have to get used to the idea that we'll be spending time together."

"That's true, but I doubt he'll be home, now that I think about it. We might have sent Reese to Port Angeles, but it all happened in your father's jurisdiction. The Port Angeles Sheriff's department is sure to involve him. What are you going to tell him about us then?" Edward asked.

"The same thing I've been telling him all along. He doesn't get to decide who I go out with, and I'll date whomever I like."

"Don't you think it's about time you told him the truth?" Sara asked.

"Look who's talking about the truth. You have no right to lecture me about what I tell my father!"

"I haven't lied to you about anything, Bella."

"Yeah, I just didn't know what questions to ask."

"You live, you learn. It comes with experience. So, Friday after school then?" Sara asked as Edward pulled up to the curb in front of her house.

"Sure. I'll see you in the morning, Sara."

"Bye, you two have fun." She got out of the car and waved as Edward pulled away from the curb.

"You know, it would be a lot easier for you if you just told your father everything. At least he might not worry about you so much."

"Yeah, right. Just walk in and say, 'gee, dad, you know I'm a witch, and I know Edward is a vampire, but I'm gonna date him anyhow, ok?' I can just see him taking that so well."

"It's better than him thinking you're an ordinary innocent girl, and I'm some kind of cad that's taking advantage of you."

"I'm not that innocent, Edward. Charlie knows that. Maybe I want him to respect my choices without knowing that there's anything out of the ordinary about me. Is it really that hard for him to accept who I decide to spend time with?"

"He knows what I am, Bella. He's going to think the worst."

"He didn't like me going out with Mike, either. It's my choice who I date, not his."

"Well, I didn't like you going out with Newton either. I'm glad it was over before I returned to Forks or I might have had to kill him."

"Be serious…"

"I am… You know how I feel about you, and what's growing between us. He wouldn't have lasted a day once I got back to town. It's very difficult to restrain myself now, knowing what he did to you."

"I can handle Mike, thank you very much. That is so over. I was just fooling around a little. He wasn't my boyfriend. You have nothing to concern yourself with on that front. You should be worrying more about James. What are we going to do about him?"

"We wait for James to make a move. We'll deal with him when he makes his play. He's not powerful enough to deal with all of us."

"James is still out there killing girls, and he's here because of me. Shouldn't we be trying to stop him?"

"He's a vampire, Bella. He's within his rights to live like that. If he becomes too conspicuous, then he'll attract the attention of the Volturi or the pogrom and they'll hunt him down. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already attracted the attention of the Italians. They won't put up with him killing too conspicuously. Attracting enough attention to get the humans hunting him is sure to attract their attention. If they go after him, problem solved."

"Those are the people that enforce the rules for the Kindred?"

"Yes. They're highly effective at dealing with trouble makers like James."

"Do I need to worry about them too? Won't they be upset that I know about you?"

Edward shrugged as he pulled up in front of the house. "Not necessarily. Humans aren't supposed to know about us, but you have a secret to hide too. They consider it even. They don't expect you to say anything, because you don't want to attract attention to yourself."

"Fine, I guess that's one less thing to worry about."

Then Edward nodded to the police cruiser parked in the driveway. "How are you going to deal with that?"

"That isn't Charlie's car. What's going on?" I asked

I didn't have to wait long. The front door opened and a uniformed police officer stepped out onto the porch. Well, at least Forks was progressive enough to have a female police officer on the force. She looked pretty young though, and I doubted she was too many years older than me. She didn't look old enough to be out of college yet.

"I suppose we should go find out." Edward said. "Come on, I'll help you with your things."

We got out of the car, and Edward grabbed my bag while I made sure I had the books before he could grab them. Then we started up to the porch.

"Where's my dad?" I asked the cop when we stepped onto the porch. "Is he alright?"

"Chief Swan is fine. He had to drive to Port Angeles for official business this evening. I'm Officer Abbott. The Chief said I should call you Bella."

"Fine, I don't need a baby sitter. Why are you here?" We were still standing on the porch, and she had moved to block the door when I moved toward it.

"The Chief asked me to come here and keep an eye on things until he got home. I'm sorry, Bella. This wasn't my idea. I'm just following orders."

"Fine, well get the door so we can carry this stuff inside," I said.

"Umm… I'm under orders not to allow your friend to come in the house, Bella. The Chief was very specific…"

"It's alright, Bella. I should probably be going. I'll see you in school tomorrow, alright?"

"Fine," I turned to Edward and kissed his cheek.

My hands were full, and I couldn't hug him. He turned to me and gently caressed my jaw with his cool fingertips, and then captured my chin, lifting it so he could gaze into my eyes. He leaned in, and his lips gently brushed mine in a kiss.

I wanted more, and I was ready to drop the books and reach for him when the sound of the cop clearing her throat got my attention and ruined the mood. Edward took a step back, breaking the kiss, and the moment passed.

"Good night, Bella, Officer Abbott." He handed my bag to the cop, and then he was turning away to leave.

I turned to the cop. "I'm not going to keep calling you Officer Abbott all night if you get to call me Bella. What's your name?"

She smiled, "you can call me Chris, but don't let the Chief hear that. I'm still on duty." She turned to open the door and we went inside. "So that's your boyfriend? He doesn't seem so bad. Your dad seemed to think it was a big deal. Like I had to be here to protect you or something."

"My dad's just overprotective sometimes, I guess. He wasn't around when I was growing up, and I think he's having a hard time dealing with the fact that I date and have a boyfriend now. What can I say? He's my dad. So what about you, aren't you kind of young to be a cop?"

Chris Shrugged. "I always wanted to be a cop, but I didn't have a lot of money for school. A lot of small towns like Forks can't afford to hire full academy graduates either so they offer work study programs. I did the academy basic training to qualify for the job, and then go to night school a couple of nights a week in Port Angeles to complete my Criminal Justice Degree. In the mean time I get practical experience and learn as I go. It's kind of like on the job training but I get the opportunity to apply what I learn in my classes."

We were at the base of the stairs now and Chris stopped and turned to me.

"So, where do you want this stuff?"

"Here, I'll take it. I'll put it in my room. No offense, Chris, but I'm gonna call my dad and see if I can get you off the hook. You've done your job, and ran Edward off. If Charlie says it's ok, I'm supposed to go over to a girlfriend's house tonight."

"Fine by me, but I'll need to talk to him first. My orders are to not let you leave until he gets home, and no boys in the house. He mentioned your Edward by name, and told me he wasn't to come in under any circumstances. He didn't say anything about girlfriends if you want your friend to come over here."

I just nodded, and hauled my stuff up to my room. I dropped the stack of books on my desk and then sorted out my dirty clothes from my bag. When I was done, I got out my phone and speed dialed Charlie's number. It was the number at the police station, but I knew he had call forwarding, and it would connect to whatever number he had assigned to it. It was the easiest way to find him.

The phone rang a half dozen times before it made the tone to let me know it was forwarding the call, and then rang another couple of times.

"_Chief Swan._" Charlie answered.

"Hey, dad, it's Bella."

"_It's about time. Where are you?_"

"I'm at home dad. I always get home about this time on Wednesdays. So what's with the Cop guarding the house? Am I under arrest now?"

"_No… I just thought it was a good idea. I want to keep you safe… I didn't know where you went this afternoon after school._"

"I was with Sara. If you wanted to know, all you had to do was call and ask. I won't lie to you."

"_But you don't tell me everything, do you? You weren't alone with Sara._"

"You didn't ask me if I was. I'm not hiding anything from you, dad."

"_I notice that you don't volunteer anything either. You tell me what you think I want to hear._"

"That's not lying to you. So, where are you, are you going to be home soon?"

"_I'm in Port Angeles on official business. I'm probably going to be pretty late. And just telling enough of the truth to keep me happy might not be a lie, but it's dishonest if you're twisting the truth to be misleading. I like that less than an outright lie, Bella._"

"I don't want to lie to you at all, dad, or hurt you either, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Look, can we argue about this some other time? I need to ask you something if you're going to be late."

"_Fine, but I know who you were with, and I don't like it. What did you want to ask me?_"

"Angela asked me if I wanted to stay the night over at her house tonight. I've been so busy with Sara and Alice and work that I don't get enough time to spend with Angela. Is it ok if I go over to Angela's house for the night?"

"_It's a school night. Shouldn't you wait until the weekend or something?_"

"Semester tests, dad, remember? We don't have any homework. I have my Spanish and Trig finals tomorrow. I can study for my Spanish final with Angela. We sit together in Spanish. Or I guess I could ask Alice if I could spend the night at her house, and we could study for trig… I do struggle more in that class…"

"_No!_" Charlie exclaimed with a note of horror in his voice. "_Angela's house is fine. When are you going over?_"

"As soon as I pack some clothes, I'll walk down there…"

"_No, Officer Abbott will drive you…_"

"Dad, I can walk two blocks to Angela's house. It's just down the street…"

"_No, Bella. She'll drive you, or you can wait until I come home to drive you._"

"Fine, you know, you're treating me like I'm eight years old instead of almost eighteen years old. You need to start getting used to the fact that I'm growing up dad. What are you going to do when I have my own car? You know, come September, and I won't need to ask for permission anymore…"

"_We'll deal with that in September. For now we'll do it my way._"

"Fine, so, did you make my doctors appointment? I was expecting a call from you, but you never called today."

"_Yeah, they were booked up today. You go tomorrow after school, before you go to work. I'll pick you up after school and drive you._"

"Fine, I can just have Angela drop me off on the way home…"

"_I'll drive you, Bella. I'm your father. I can at least take you to the doctor._"

"Alright… You know you don't get to come in, right? I might let mom, but you don't get too…" I didn't know exactly what was involved in a sports physical, but he wasn't going to be in the room if they had to do any of the things they did at a regular physical. I knew the conversation was wrapping up, and I left my room and started downstairs while we talked on the phone.

"_Of course, if that's what you want. I won't intrude on your privacy any more than I have to, Bella. I don't need to be there for the exam, but I want to sit down with the doctor when you're done. We have some things to discuss._"

"Fine, just as long as we're clear about that up front."

"_Now, let me talk to Officer Abbott. I'll let her know she can drive you to Angela's house._"

"Fine, thanks dad."

Chris was in the living room, but she stood up when she saw me on the stairs with my phone. I walked over to her, and handed her the phone.

"Here, my dad wants to talk to you." She nodded, and took the phone.

"This is Officer Abbott."

"Yes, Sir."

"He dropped her off and then left."

"No, Sir."

"Yes, Sir."

"Yes, Sir." She repeated a little dejectedly. Then she handed the phone back to me.

"Hey, dad, it's Bella."

"_Ok, have a good night. I'll pick you up from school tomorrow._"

"Ok, dad, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

I ended the call, and snapped the phone shut.

"Ok, well let me grab my things, and then I guess you can drive me to Angela's house. I don't see why he's so worried. She only lives like two blocks up the street."

Chris shrugged. "Maybe he wants to be sure that's where you really go. He seemed to be worried that you'd actually end up where you told him you were going."

"Huh… Well, I am. I really want to catch up with Angela. I don't spend enough time with her. I'll be ready in a minute," and I started up the stairs.

I went to my room and packed what I'd need for tonight and my clothes for school tomorrow. We had another late start, and we should have plenty of time to get ready in the morning. I knew I'd need my softball glove and stuffed it in. I grabbed some makeup essentials and made sure my birth control pills were in my purse, and then went back downstairs.

I followed Chris out of the house, and locked the door with the key. She helped me put my things in the back seat, and then we made the very short drive down the street to the next block. She pulled up in front of Angela's house, and I got out of the car.

I was standing next to the car when I felt a cold chill run down my spine and a tingling sensation prickle across my scalp like my hair was standing on end. I had the sensation that I was being watched, and I looked around, but I didn't see anyone on the street. If I had to make a guess, I'd have to say it felt like it was coming from the trees at the edge of the forest across the street. I scanned the tree line, but nothing seemed out of place.

I tried to shake it off, but the sense of dread I was feeling seemed so familiar. I couldn't place it and was a little lost in thought when Chris was handing me my things. I told her good night, and then walked through the gate at the sidewalk and up onto Angela's porch.

The sensation faded when I stepped onto the porch, but I turned to scan the trees again. I remembered when I'd felt this before. The cold shiver that ran down my spine and the tingling sensation prickling across my scalp was what I'd felt the first couple of times I'd been around James when he was hiding what he was from me.


End file.
